Romello Raykel Lilly was 21 when he was shot and killed on December 23, 2022, in the 4700 block of Star Rite Lane in Parkton, North Carolina, a neighborhood off Lake Upchurch Drive. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office reported he was killed shortly before 10 p.m., ending a four-week lull in fatal shootings for the county.

Investigators identified 21-year-old Randquail Jahon Grace as a suspect and sought him for questioning; a murder warrant was later issued and he was described as armed and dangerous. On January 24, 2023, Grace was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force with assistance from Cumberland County deputies and charged with first-degree murder; he was held without bond in the Randolph County Detention Center and was also facing a felony probation violation related to earlier firearm convictions. The homicide investigation remains ongoing.

If anyone in Parkton that night has information or saw something that could help, please contact Homicide Detective Senior Sgt. C. Zwan or Crimestoppers.