On May 22, 2023, at about 8:32 a.m., deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Robersonville Road in Washington, North Carolina, where a man suffering from a gunshot wound was found. Emergency personnel pronounced 52-year-old Billy Joe Bell deceased at the scene and the Sheriff’s Office opened a homicide investigation, collecting evidence and treating the incident as isolated with no immediate threat to the wider community.

Bell, born March 2, 1971, lived at 2048 Robersonville Road. An obituary lists his wife Michelle Bell and four sons — Braxton, Jordan, Mason, and Bentley — as survivors, and describes him as active in the community, coaching youth football and baseball and enjoying drag racing. As of the latest update, authorities have not publicly announced any arrests, named suspects, or identified a motive; the investigation remains active.

If anyone has information about what happened that morning or knew Billy, please share what you can with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.