Daniel Christopher Sulton

Daniel Christopher Sulton, 36, was a smart and loving man who worked as a team lead at Goodyear in Fayetteville, North Carolina. A Black man known as a good father, he was devoted to his sons and his family.

On the night of May 15, 2021, Sulton had just stepped out of his girlfriend's vehicle and was standing in the driveway of his home in the Taylor's Creek neighborhood. Just after 11 p.m., a woman emerged from a nearby car on Spearfish Drive and approached him. Moments later, a man got out of the same car, ran toward Sulton, and shot him. The shooter stole Sulton's Taurus handgun and a black bag before fleeing.

Cumberland County Sheriff's deputies arrived to find Sulton lying wounded in the grass behind a neighbor's home. He was rushed to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from his gunshot wound. Investigators learned the shooter had left the scene in a white, four-door car, possibly a 2009-2013 Nissan Altima.

The investigation led to the identification of three suspects: Jaylin Maleek Bailey-Murphy, then 26, of Reidsville, and twin brothers Jeremy and Jermaine Miller, then 20, both of Gibsonville. On June 28, 2021, Fayetteville police found Jeremy Miller in a Nissan Altima that matched the suspect vehicle's description and took him into custody. His brother, Jermaine Miller, surrendered to authorities later that same day. The third suspect, Bailey-Murphy, turned himself in on July 1, 2021. All three were initially charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and robbery.

Three years after the shooting, two of the suspects entered plea agreements. On May 9, 2024, Jermaine Miller pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice. On May 15, 2024, his brother, Jeremy Miller, pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice. Their sentencings are scheduled to take place after the trial of the third co-defendant. As of May 2024, charges of first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, and robbery with a dangerous weapon remain pending against Jaylin Maleek Bailey-Murphy as he awaits trial.