On August 30, 2023, at approximately 12:25 a.m., a deputy patrolling Ellerbe, North Carolina, was alerted by two individuals about a man lying on the ground along High Street. Upon investigation, the deputy discovered 59-year-old James Edward "Catfish" Pankey on a dirt path between High Street and Railroad Street, suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency Medical Services were summoned and pronounced Pankey deceased at the scene.
Following a thorough investigation, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office identified 39-year-old Demario Antwan McDonald of Greensboro, North Carolina, as a suspect in Pankey's death. McDonald was apprehended on October 13, 2023, when he appeared in Montgomery County traffic court for unrelated charges. He was arrested without incident and charged with one felony count of murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. McDonald was subsequently transferred to the Richmond County Jail, where he was held without bond on the murder charge and assigned a $6,000 secured bond for the firearm possession charge. His initial court appearance was scheduled for November 1, 2023.
Records from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety indicate that McDonald has a history of prior convictions, including felony breaking and entering, child abuse, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, and assault on a woman.
James Pankey, affectionately known as "Catfish," was a resident of Ellerbe, North Carolina. He is survived by his children—James Little, Kwame Little, and Sasha Little Grace—all of High Point, North Carolina, as well as five granddaughters, six grandsons, his sister Angela Pankey Martin of Ellerbe, and his brother Robert "Snap" Pankey of Troy, North Carolina. A funeral service was held on September 10, 2023, at McLendon Funeral Home, with interment at Sneed Grove AME Church cemetery.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pankey's death remains ongoing. Authorities have urged anyone with additional information to contact the Richmond County Crime Stoppers.
