In the pre-dawn hours of a Saturday morning in Franklinton, North Carolina, the lives of two men were tragically cut short by gunfire. One of those men was Keith Leonard Sneed, a 43-year-old man known to some as "Bubba." Though many details of his life remain private, a friend, Tisha Jones, remembered him as a "kind soul gone too soon," a sentiment that speaks to the loss felt by those who knew him.
His passing on October 10, 2026, left a void in the lives of his family and friends.
The shooting occurred around 3:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Carver Street, a residential area just southeast of the small town of Franklinton in Franklin County. When deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office arrived at 201 Carver Street, they discovered two men who had been shot. Keith Sneed and another man, 38-year-old Stephone Lavare Perry, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The incident was immediately investigated as a double homicide.
In the days following the shooting, the community was on edge, but Sheriff Kevin White assured the public that the killings were believed to be an isolated situation. As investigators worked the case, a breakthrough came within a week. On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, authorities arrested a Franklinton woman, Duline Marie Singletary. According to the arrest warrant, she was charged with felony accessory after the fact, accused of giving the murder suspect a ride to help him evade law enforcement after the shooting.
The next morning, on Thursday, October 15, deputies apprehended the man they believed was responsible for the deaths of Sneed and Perry. Demetrius Alexander Brodie of Franklinton was taken into custody and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Following the arrests, Sheriff White posted on social media about the loss of "Two lives needlessly ended far too soon." The investigation did not release a possible motive for the shooting or detail the relationship, if any, between the victims and the accused.
Duline Marie Singletary had her first court appearance on October 15, where she was ordered held without bond. Information regarding Demetrius Brodie's initial court appearance was not immediately made public. The case against both individuals was set to proceed through the Franklin County court system. As of the latest reports in October 2026, the cases were in their initial stages, and no trial dates had been announced.
Family and friends of Keith Sneed gathered to mourn their loss. A public viewing was held on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Greater New Life Church of Christ in Franklinton. A funeral service to celebrate his life took place the following day at the Franklinton Elementary School Gymnasium. The arrangements were handled by Cutchins Family Mortuary & Cremations, which also managed the services for Stephone Perry. The investigation into the double homicide remains with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and anyone with information is asked to contact them at 919-496-2186.
