On July 12, 2023, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, 59-year-old Barbara Mitchell Adair was fatally shot during a child custody dispute. Deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office were en route to the 500 block of Mammoth Drive to address the custody matter when they received reports of gunfire. Upon arrival, they found Adair suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries on July 15, 2023.
Following an investigation, authorities arrested two suspects in connection with Adair's death. On July 20, 2023, 24-year-old Darren Lyndell Powell of Spring Lake and 24-year-old Hakeem Sincere Jessel Wilson of Fayetteville were taken into custody. Both men were charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. They were held without bond at the Cumberland County Detention Center, with initial court appearances scheduled for July 21, 2023.
In August 2024, while out on bond awaiting trial for Adair's murder, Darren Powell was involved in a fatal high-speed chase. On August 17, 2024, he led law enforcement on a pursuit after being clocked at 110 miles per hour on NC-87. The chase ended when Powell collided with another vehicle at the intersection of NC-87 and McKenzie Road in Spring Lake, resulting in the death of a passenger in the other car. Following this incident, a judge rescinded Powell's bond, and he was ordered to return to custody upon release from the hospital.
As of December 2024, both Powell and Wilson remain in custody, awaiting trial for the charges related to the death of Barbara Adair. The legal proceedings are ongoing, with the community closely monitoring the case for further developments.
