Christopher Joseph Pearce, a 42-year-old man from Erwin, North Carolina, was tragically killed on November 2, 2022. Deputies from the Harnett County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about shots fired at a residence on Elmon Gilchrist Lane. Upon arrival, they found Pearce lying in the yard with a wound to his upper chest. Despite life-saving measures performed by the deputies until EMS arrived, Pearce was pronounced dead at 9:13 a.m. Investigators determined that Pearce had been shot multiple times with a pellet gun.
The investigation revealed that the shooter was Pearce's cousin, Rachel Diane Ferguson, a 23-year-old woman who also lived at the residence with her husband and child. Ferguson was arrested on November 3, 2022, and charged with second-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. She remains in the Harnett County Detention Center without bond on the murder charge and a $100,000 secured bond on the remaining charges.
Authorities believe that the incident occurred during a confrontation between Pearce and Ferguson. Ferguson reportedly suspected Pearce of stealing from her and wanted him off the property. The autopsy confirmed that a pellet fired from the pellet gun caused Pearce's death. The case has drawn significant attention due to the unusual nature of the weapon used and the familial relationship between the victim and the suspect.
