On October 8, 2023, Wilmington Police conducted a welfare check at an apartment on Adirondack Way and found 34-year-old nurse Adriana Hall dead of a gunshot wound. Investigators say a 17-year-old male relative, identified as her cousin, was arrested nearby while driving Hall’s vehicle; authorities charged him with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and auto larceny. Reports allege he shot Hall while she was sleeping, stole her car keys, and discarded the firearm in a neighbor’s yard.

A 16-year-old female was later arrested and charged with accessory to murder; police have not disclosed extensive details about her role. The Wilmington Police Department described this as another domestic-violence-related homicide, noting five of the city’s nine homicides that year were linked to domestic violence. The 17-year-old had prior contact with New Hanover County DSS as a runaway and DSS had been seeking a suitable home because his mother’s residence was considered inappropriate. A juvenile court transfer hearing was set for November 7 to consider moving the case to superior court to be tried as an adult.