Joshua Ryan Knox, 37, of Hope Mills, North Carolina, was shot and killed shortly before 7 p.m. on January 15, 2025 in the 2400 block of John Smith Road. Officers who responded to reports of a shooting found Knox with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators identified three people of interest. Marvin Bernard Smith, 56, was later arrested in Georgia by U.S. Marshals and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Knox’s death. William Earl Hardy Jr., 55, of Harnett County was arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact; authorities allege he harbored Smith and misled investigators. A 44-year-old, Jereka Ferguson, was taken into custody on an unrelated possession of methamphetamine charge. The Hope Mills Police Department says the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about Joshua Knox, the shooting on John Smith Road, or the people involved is asked to come forward.