Edgar Medoza Picaco, a 34-year-old Hispanic male, tragically lost his life on June 25, 2018, in Granite Falls, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 6:25 PM at a residence on Grace Terrace Drive. According to reports, Picaco was shot in the chest at close range with a handgun. After being shot, he managed to seek help from a neighbor's house but succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
The autopsy report confirmed that he died from major internal trauma caused by the gunshot wound to his chest.
The investigation into Picaco's death revealed that the shooter was Michael Vincent Osborne, a 39-year-old male. Osborne had previously loaned money to Picaco and went to collect the debt on the day of the incident. A confrontation ensued, leading Osborne to shoot Picaco at a distance of less than two feet. Osborne then fled the scene. The murder case was investigated by the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hudson Police Department.
Osborne was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to an active prison term of 27 to 33 years in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections. In addition to the murder charge, Osborne also pleaded guilty to charges of felony flee to elude, driving while impaired, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a felon. These charges were related to incidents that occurred in May 2017 and February 2018. Osborne spent most of 2017 in medical facilities completing physical rehabilitation from injuries sustained during a vehicle crash while fleeing from law enforcement.
Members of Picaco's family were present in the courtroom during Osborne's plea and sentencing. They acknowledged that Picaco had made some poor decisions but emphasized that he did not deserve to be killed. The family expressed their grief over the loss of a brother, father, and son, highlighting the devastating impact of the tragedy on their lives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney W. Andrew Jennings, with Assistant District Attorney Jennifer C. Mathews handling the related charges of fleeing to elude, driving while impaired, and drug possession.
