Carrie Watkins

Do you know who murdered Carrie Watkins?
Carrie "Nook" Denise Watkins was known for her ability to make people laugh and smile. Her loved ones remembered that there was never a dull moment with her and that she never allowed the cares of the world to bother her. Born in Durham County, North Carolina, on May 28, 1985, to parents Carrie Ann Watkins and Clyde Lee Poole, Jr., she was a loving and caring daughter and sister. An avid basketball fan, Carrie enjoyed listening and dancing to her favorite music and, most of all, spending quality time with her family and friends. She especially cherished her role as an aunt to her many nieces and nephews. Carrie, a 23-year-old African-American woman, was educated in Durham Public Schools and lived on Sater Street.

The night of Friday, July 18, 2008, ended Carrie’s life in a sudden act of violence. Shortly before 11 p.m., she was standing outside with others at 503 Bruce Street, near Angier Avenue in East Durham. It was there, on a dark gravel road, that the sound of a single gunshot cut through the night. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored vehicle speeding away from the scene immediately after the shot was fired. Carrie had been struck in what police would describe as a drive-by shooting. She was rushed to Duke University Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time after her arrival.

The Durham Police Department launched a homicide investigation, but the case quickly grew cold. Investigators received very few solid leads and were unable to name any suspects or persons of interest. The limited information from the scene—a single gunshot and a fleeing dark vehicle—left little to go on. For years, the case has remained unsolved, a painful open wound for Carrie's family and the community. In 2019, eleven years after the shooting, cold case investigators with the Durham Police Department made a renewed push for information, expressing confidence that someone in the tight-knit community holds the key to solving the crime.

In the years following her daughter's murder, Carrie's mother, also named Carrie Watkins, found fellowship with other mothers who had endured the same unimaginable loss. She became a member of a Durham support group called "Parents of Murdered Children," which met in the basement of The Shepherd’s House United Methodist Church. Her journey through grief has been documented by photojournalist Justin Cook, who has spent years chronicling the impact of homicide in Durham. Photographs show her wearing a memorial shirt for her daughter and gathering with friends and other mothers to mark what would have been Nook's 29th birthday.

The murder of Carrie Denise Watkins remains an open and active cold case. No arrests have ever been made, and a motive for the shooting has never been publicly established. The case stands as a stark reminder of the lasting trauma that unsolved gun violence inflicts on families and communities. Investigators continue to believe that there are people who know what happened that night on Bruce Street.

As of August 2019, the Durham Police Department was still actively seeking new clues. They urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Individuals can contact the department directly at 919-560-4118. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Durham CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200. CrimeStoppers offers cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest in felony cases, and callers never have to reveal their identity.