On May 8, 2023, 34-year-old Antwone Durell Chisholm was found dead from a gunshot wound outside his residence on Kentucky Drive in Garner, North Carolina. Just days earlier, Chisholm had proposed to his fiancée, 27-year-old Patee Lachelle Bell, during a trip to Puerto Rico. The couple had recently returned from their engagement celebration when the tragic incident occurred.
In the immediate aftermath, Garner Police arrested Bell and 30-year-old Howard Lee Covington Jr., charging both with Chisholm's murder. Family members expressed shock and grief, noting that Chisholm was a dedicated family man with six children and a grandchild. They were particularly stunned by Bell's arrest, as she had been welcomed into the family. The relationship between Covington and either Chisholm or Bell remained unclear to the family.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Bell might have orchestrated the murder by hiring Covington. A search of Bell's phone uncovered messages suggesting premeditation, including instructions to avoid detection and references to plans coinciding with their return from Puerto Rico. Additionally, a third individual, 28-year-old Jonte Nichole Bell, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder for allegedly attempting to dispose of the firearm used in the crime by discarding it in a trash compactor.
The case has left the Garner community grappling with the unsettling details of Chisholm's death, especially given the involvement of his recently betrothed fiancée. As legal proceedings continue, the community and Chisholm's family seek answers and justice for the loss of a man remembered for his kindness and dedication to his loved ones.
