Ervin Junior Ripley, 51, of Clarkton, North Carolina, was fatally shot in the head at his Mercer-Mill Road residence on December 31, 2021. The same incident left 53-year-old Debra Purdie with a gunshot wound to the hand. A witness identified 37-year-old William James Purdie as the shooter, and he was reported to have fled the scene in a Honda. Warrants were issued charging William Purdie with murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Authorities described the shooting as the result of domestic conflict.

The community and Ripley’s family were left coping with the loss while law enforcement pursued the case. Does anyone have information about Ervin Ripley, his last known movements, or the events at the Mercer-Mill Road home on December 31, 2021?