On January 5, 1922, in the rural community of Wilbanks, North Carolina, the lifeless body of Annie Pearson, a 24-year-old African American woman, was discovered in the yard of her home. She had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the heart, and her remains had been partially consumed by animals, indicating she had been deceased for several days before being found. An anonymous letter received by Sheriff Howard on January 13 accused her husband, Miles Pearson, of committing the murder and fleeing the scene.
Following this lead, law enforcement officers, including Sheriff Howard and deputies Pearson, Mercer, and Kost, visited the Pearson residence. They found the couple's livestock in a state of neglect; a cow was tied to a post without sustenance, and a horse and mule in the stable were nearly famished, suggesting that the animals had been unattended since the time of Annie's death. The Pearsons had recently moved to this secluded property, a five-acre clearing within a large woodland area owned by Morris Barker and Morris Popkin of Wilson, North Carolina.
The investigation took a grim turn when, on January 15, 1922, the body of 68-year-old African American man, Miles Pearson, was found approximately fifty yards from his home, concealed behind a log in the woods. He had been shot in the back with a pistol, and a shotgun was found nearby. Given the state of decomposition, it was evident that he had been dead for several days, likely since the time of his wife's murder.
Community members recalled that another man and woman had been living with the Pearsons but were now unaccounted for. Approximately a week prior to the discovery of the bodies, this couple had borrowed a horse and buggy from a neighbor, George Barnes, and had not been seen since. This led authorities to consider the possibility of their involvement in the deaths.
Despite these leads, the investigation faced significant challenges. The remote location of the Pearson home and the time elapsed between the murders and the discovery of the bodies hindered the collection of evidence. No arrests were made, and the identities and whereabouts of the missing couple remained unknown. The case eventually went cold, leaving the tragic deaths of Miles and Annie Pearson unresolved.
