North Carolina police arrest suspect in nearly 20-year-old double killing at a beverage distribution company

U.S. newsNorth Carolina police arrest suspect in nearly 20-year-old double killing at a beverage distribution companyJohnny Steven Talbert, 43, was arrested Thursday in connection with the alleged robbery at a beverage distribution company that resulted in the deaths of 59-year-old Donna Barnhardt and 44-year-old Darrell Noles.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Police officers investigate the scene at a Sun-drop Bottling plant in Concord, N.C., in June 2008, where two people were killed during an alleged robbery.Chuck Burton / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 26, 2026, 10:25 AM EDTBy Mirna Alsharif and Austin MullenNorth Carolina police have arrested a suspect in the killing of two people during an alleged robbery at a beverage distribution company nearly 20 years ago.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Johnny Steven Talbert, a 43-year-old from Port Angeles, Washington, was arrested by local police Thursday, just hours after the Concord Police Department obtained a warrant, according to a news release. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a firearm in connection with the 2008 killings at the Sun Drop Bottling Co. in Concord. The company distributes drinks, including citrus Sun Drop beverages and Snapple.On the morning of June 13, 2008, Concord police responded to the beverage distribution center at 360 Old-Salisbury Concord Road after a suspect allegedly opened fire, killing 59-year-old Donna Barnhardt and 44-year-old Darrell Noles, police said. Barnhardt was the company’s office manager, while Noles was there applying for work. The suspect had also stolen money from the office before fleeing the scene, according to police.The years that followed included investigators looking into “hundreds of tips from the community,” but the case remained cold until 2025. “Through a meticulous reexamination of evidence and the pursuit of previously undev...