Vincent Woodley Jr.

Vincent Edward Woodley Jr., a 33-year-old Black man known to his loved ones as "Jr," was a father of two whose life was remembered with an outpouring of love and grief. Born on December 4, 1988, he was a cherished son to Letitia Moore and Vincent Woodley Sr., and a brother to Victoria, Quentiez, and Jasmine Woodley. On a memorial page, family members shared their profound loss with messages like, "forever missed, forever loved, forever mama’s boy" and "God knows I miss you so much, I love you forever & a day *Lil Sis❤️." His aunt remembered him with the nickname "poo yang," while his daughter wrote, "I love you so so so so so so so so so so so so much daddy love Tink." His death on September 26, 2022, left his family and friends in what his obituary described as "extreme sorrow and astonishing disbelief."

The fatal encounter occurred on a Monday afternoon in a rural part of Duplin County, outside the town of Mount Olive, North Carolina. At approximately 3:08 p.m., the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a person with a gunshot wound and responded to the area near the intersection of Bennett’s Bridge Road and Reyes Verdin Lane. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Vincent suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators later learned that Vincent had been shot during a brief altercation with another man.

Despite immediate life-saving efforts by the responding deputies and Duplin County EMS personnel, Vincent’s injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The quiet, unincorporated area became the focus of an intense homicide investigation as detectives worked to identify the person responsible for the shooting. The community was shaken by the violent loss of a young father.

The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office moved swiftly, identifying 44-year-old Antonio Hodges of Goldsboro as the primary suspect. Investigators stated that Hodges had argued with Vincent before shooting him and then fleeing the scene. A warrant for murder was issued for Hodges' arrest, and the sheriff's office announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to his capture and conviction. The search for the suspect, however, came to a quick and decisive end.

Two days after the shooting, Antonio Hodges turned himself in to law enforcement authorities. With the suspect in custody, the focus of the case shifted from a manhunt to the judicial system. The case proceeded through the courts for the next three and a half years, a period of waiting for Vincent's family as they sought justice for his killing.

On February 24, 2026, the case concluded in Duplin County Superior Court. Antonio Hodges pleaded guilty to the charges of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. Following the acceptance of his guilty plea, a judge sentenced Hodges to an active prison term of 240 to 300 months, equivalent to a sentence of 20 to 25 years.

In the weeks following Vincent's death, his family held services to honor his memory. A visitation was held on October 8, 2022, at the Greater New Testament Holy Church in Sharpsburg, followed by a farewell service the next day at the Word Tabernacle Church. He was laid to rest at Rocky Mount Memorial Park. With the February 2026 conviction and sentencing of Antonio Hodges, the criminal case into the death of Vincent Woodley Jr. is officially closed.