Michael Curtis Hallyburton, a 63-year-old White man from Morganton, North Carolina, was killed on August 31, 2025, on Swink Street in Burke County’s Antioch community. The first sign of trouble was a structure fire; witnesses nearby reported white smoke that darkened and small explosions that grew louder as the fire intensified. Firefighters found Hallyburton slumped inside a pickup truck in the yard, his body lying across the passenger seat. The medical examiner reported he suffered two gunshot wounds to the back of his head and another to his neck.

A second victim, Joseph Kincaid Byrd Jr., was found inside the residence in the kitchen area and had been shot repeatedly in the head and neck; fire damage required dental X-rays for identification. Investigators expanded the inquiry into a double homicide while also examining the fire’s origin and whether it was deliberately set. Several dogs survived and were turned over to animal services.

No motive was publicly announced in the days after the killings; authorities offered a $2,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest. An arrest and charges were later brought, but readers who knew Hallyburton or have information about that August 31 scene are asked to come forward.