Norris Cobb

In the early evening hours of a late September Saturday, the life of Norris Lee Cobb was brought to a violent and sudden end. A 54-year-old male resident of Kinston, North Carolina, Mr. Cobb’s death on September 24, 2011, left a hole in his community and a case file that remains open on the cold case roster of the Kinston Police Department more than a decade later. Information publicly available about Mr. Cobb's personal life is limited, but an obituary notice published in the Kinston Free Press noted his residence was on Highway 58 South. His funeral arrangements were handled by Albritton-Carraway Funeral Home.

The attack on Norris Cobb happened at approximately 7:40 p.m. in a residential area on the 300 block of North Rochelle Boulevard in Kinston. As dusk settled over the city, he was shot by an unknown assailant. First responders and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the scene and worked urgently in an attempt to save his life. Despite their immediate and determined efforts, Mr. Cobb’s injuries were too severe, and he died there on the boulevard. The public record does not specify the circumstances that brought him to that location or whether he was with anyone at the time of the shooting.

The Kinston Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into the shooting. Detectives processed the crime scene, searching for physical evidence and seeking potential witnesses who might have seen or heard something that could lead to a suspect. However, the initial investigation did not result in an arrest, and as leads grew cold, the case was eventually classified as an unsolved homicide. The weapon used in the crime has not been recovered, and authorities have not released information regarding a possible motive for the attack.

Over the years, the investigation has remained open. The Kinston Police Department includes Norris Cobb’s murder in its public list of cold cases, a silent testament to a crime that still awaits a resolution. Detectives have not publicly named any persons of interest or suspects in the case. The lack of witnesses and forensic leads has made the path to justice for Mr. Cobb a difficult one, but law enforcement has not given up hope that new information might emerge.

On the anniversaries of Mr. Cobb’s death, authorities have periodically renewed their appeal to the public for assistance. In September 2025, on the 14th anniversary of the crime, WITN reported that the Kinston Police Department was continuing to seek tips in the case. Police emphasized their commitment to finding answers and bringing a measure of peace to Mr. Cobb's loved ones. The case of Gonzales Harmon, another Kinston resident murdered on the exact same date five years earlier in 2006, is often mentioned in these appeals, a somber reminder of the lingering pain of unsolved violence in the community.

As of September 2025, the murder of Norris Cobb remains an active and unsolved investigation. The Kinston Police Department and Lenoir County Crime Stoppers continue to ask for the public’s help. They urge anyone with any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Anyone with knowledge related to the murder of Norris Cobb is asked to call the Kinston Police Department at 252-939-4020 or Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 252-523-4444.