Nicholas C. Matthews, 33, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, was killed on May 27, 2020. Deputies were called to the Myna Drive area for a reported robbery and shooting but found no victim or witnesses at the scene. Shortly afterward, Onslow Memorial Hospital notified deputies that a gunshot victim had been brought in by a private vehicle. The victim, identified as Nicholas Carl Matthews, was pronounced dead at the hospital; the preliminary cause of death was gunshot wounds pending autopsy.

The investigation led to the arrest of 20-year-old Deon Leon Townsell of Jacksonville on June 1, 2020, during a traffic stop in which deputies found a loaded handgun and a half-pound of marijuana. Townsell was charged with an open count of murder and held with no bond awaiting his first court appearance.

If anyone in the Myna Drive area that night saw activity, vehicles, or people that might relate to this case, please come forward with information.