Emily Elizabeth Haddock, a 12-year-old girl from Fayetteville, NC, tragically lost her life on September 21, 2007. Emily, who was a seventh-grade student at New Century Middle School in Cameron, was home alone with strep throat when the incident occurred. She was described as a bright and cheerful child who enjoyed horseback riding, band at school, karaoke, and swimming.
On that fateful day, Emily was shot multiple times with a .22-caliber handgun during a break-in at her home.
The investigation revealed that Michael Graham Currie, a 21-year-old man, along with four other individuals, intended to break into the Haddock home in Vass, NC, and were surprised to find Emily there. Currie pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and breaking and entering in August 2010. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty against him. Currie admitted to being the person who pulled the trigger, and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Sherrod Nicholas Harrison, another individual involved in the case, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 93 to 123 months in prison. The trials for the other three defendants, Van Roger Smith Jr., Perry Ross Schiro, and Ryan Jermar White, were still pending at the time.
Emily's death was a devastating loss for her family and the community. Her grandfather discovered her body when he stopped by the house to check on her. The image of Emily, a defenseless child, alone in the house when an armed man broke in, haunted her family. Despite the tragic circumstances, Emily's mother, Joy Haddock, expressed a desire for forgiveness towards Currie in court.
