Rodney James Hardy, a 58-year-old Black/African American man from Simpson, North Carolina, was found shot inside his home on Queen Street at around 1:40 a.m. on Thursday, September 11, 2025. Deputies with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office pronounced him dead at the scene, and investigators immediately classified the case as a homicide. Local reporting identified Hardy by name and confirmed his residence in the house where the shooting occurred.
Detectives released few specifics about what happened inside the home, saying they could not speak to details without jeopardizing the investigation, but emphasized that a large team was working the case. Later in September, the Sheriff’s Office publicly appealed for tips through Crime Stoppers, signaling that no arrests had been announced and that investigators had not publicly identified a suspect.
Remembrances and funeral notices marked the days that followed. An obituary through Rountree Family Mortuary set a celebration of life for September 20 at Sweet Hope Church Ministries in nearby Grimesland, while online memorials and posts from loved ones described the shock of his killing and reiterated that it happened in the early morning hours at his Simpson home.
