Cornell Ward

With a charming smile and a contagious laugh, Cornell R. Ward was often the life of the party. Those who loved him remember his heart of gold and his willingness to go to great lengths to help anyone he cared for. An aspiring chef, the 31-year-old Black man loved to cook and proudly posted photos of his homemade dinners on social media for everyone to see. He worked as a cook at restaurants like Applebee's and AMC Dine-in theaters. Cornell also had a pure and kind heart that led him to work with mentally disabled individuals at Enable Inc. In 2018, he relocated from his native New Jersey to Hope Mills, North Carolina, to continue his life's journey, a journey that was tragically cut short.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, December 20, 2020, Cornell was shot and killed in the 2900 block of Cage Street in Hope Mills. Deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of the shooting and found Cornell, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. The circumstances that led to the shooting have not been publicly detailed by investigators. His sudden and violent death left his family and friends devastated, mourning the loss of a man who they say considered everyone he encountered a friend.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office immediately launched a homicide investigation. Two days after the shooting, on December 22, 2020, detectives announced they were searching for a person of interest they wanted to question about Cornell's death. They identified him as 18-year-old Jocephus Jones III. The sheriff's office released his description and asked for the public's assistance in locating him. At the time, they did not specify what led them to focus on Jones or what his connection to Cornell might have been.

In the years following Cornell's murder, the case saw few public developments. However, the person of interest, Jocephus Jones III, was involved in other violent crimes. In April 2023, Jones was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Victoria Faith Jefferson, which occurred in Hope Mills. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in that case and was sentenced to prison. Despite his conviction for a separate homicide, no charges have ever been announced against Jones or any other individual in connection with the 2020 killing of Cornell Ward.

Cornell is survived by his two daughters, Kimora and Ariel, his mother, and several siblings, nieces, and nephews who carry his legacy. His family remembered him as someone with a love for life, whose presence always guaranteed a good time. In his obituary, they found strength in knowing he was "in the arms of our angels where you belong."

As of late 2023, the investigation into Cornell Ward's homicide remains open. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has not released any new information or named any other suspects. Authorities continue to ask that anyone with information about the shooting on Cage Street on December 20, 2020, come forward. Tips can be directed to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at 910-323-1500 or submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.