Nearly 18 years after two people were gunned down inside a North Carolina bottling plant, investigators say they’ve finally nabbed the suspect – nearly 3,000 miles away in Washington state.
Johnny Steven Talbert, 43, was arrested May 21 in Port Angeles, Washington, in connection with the killings of Donna Barnhardt and Darrell Noles at the former Sun Drop Bottling Company in Concord, according to Concord police.
The killings happened around 10 a.m. on June 13, 2008, at the bottling plant on Old Salisbury-Concord Road, about 25 miles northeast of Charlotte.
“At approximately 10 a.m. on June 13, 2008, officers with the Concord PD responded to a reported shooting inside the Sun Drop Bottling Company,” police said in a news release this week.
Responding officers found 59-year-old Barnhardt and 44-year-old Noles dead from gunshot wounds.
Barnhardt had worked as the company’s office manager for nearly two decades. Noles was at the plant to apply for a job, according to investigators.
Police believe the suspect killed both victims during a robbery before stealing money from the office and fleeing on foot.
Witnesses described seeing a man leaving the area, and investigators later released a composite sketch in September 2008, The Charlotte Observer reported. Despite hundreds of tips over the years, the case remained unsolved for nearly two decades.
According to Concord police, the investigation gained new momentum in late 2025 after detectives conducted a fresh review of evidence and pursued previously undeveloped leads.
“Through a meticulous reexamination of evidence and the pursuit of previously undeveloped leads, detectives uncovered critical information that ultimately led to Talbert’s arrest,” police said.
Concord detectives contacted police in Port Angeles in December 2025 and later traveled to Washington earlier this month as the investigation intensified.
Talbert faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a firearm or other dangerous weapon. He is being held without bond in the Clallam County Jail as a fugitive from justice while awaiting extradition to North Carolina, police said in a press release.
Barnhardt’s family released a statement thanking investigators for continuing to pursue the case over the past 18 years.
“Our family wishes to formally express our sincere gratitude to the Concord Police Department for its dedication, professionalism, and perseverance in resolving an investigation that remained active for eighteen years,” the family said.
“For nearly two decades, investigators and supporting personnel demonstrated an unwavering commitment to seeking answers and pursuing justice. Their persistence, integrity, and tireless efforts ensured this case was never forgotten.”
“The resolution of this investigation has brought long-awaited answers and a measure of peace to our family.”
