Braxton Devin Farquhar, a 34-year-old Black man, was a father and an engineering and facilities maintenance technician. Friends and family remembered him as funny, outgoing, and smart. His life was cut short in what was the first homicide in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 2023.
On the evening of January 11, 2023, police were called to the 100 block of West Sixth Avenue around 10:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find Braxton Farquhar outside his home, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators quickly identified his stepson, 23-year-old Christopher Lee Hill, as the suspect. Hill had previously lived at the residence with his mother and Farquhar.
According to prosecutors, the tragic encounter began when Hill arrived at the home and became upset after finding his younger half-brother outside unsupervised. He reportedly banged on the house, yelling, and fired a weapon into the dwelling.
Farquhar came outside to see what was happening, and an argument began on the front porch. As Farquhar started to go back inside, Hill allegedly said a slur, prompting Farquhar to come back out and take off his shirt as if preparing for a physical fight. Witnesses then saw Hill shoot the unarmed Farquhar. After Farquhar fell, Hill continued to shoot him. An autopsy revealed a total of 17 gunshot wounds, including several to his back.
A warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Christopher Hill, who surrendered to police the following day, January 12. During his initial court appearance, Hill claimed he was a victim, stating, "That man abused me, verbally and physically." Friends and family of Hill echoed this sentiment, describing him as a quiet "gentle giant" who was trying to protect his younger brother from what they described as an abusive environment.
After more than three years of legal proceedings, the case came to a resolution. On June 3, 2026, Christopher Lee Hill pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony firing a weapon into an occupied dwelling. Hill’s defense attorney stated that his client’s intentions were “noble” but that his reaction was wrong and that he regretted his actions. He was sentenced to serve between 25 and 32 years in prison.
