Timothy McGhee

Do you know who murdered Timothy McGhee?
Timothy Deangelo McGhee was a young man with a creative spirit and a deep love for his family. Known for his memorable smile, the 24-year-old African-American man was an aspiring musician who found joy in writing music and rapping. He was a devoted father to his son, Hassan, and a loving son who called his mother every day, greeting her with the words, "What's up 'Pretty Lady'." Friends knew him as part of the "I.R.S Crew," and he also enjoyed playing basketball. His life, full of promise and connection, was tragically cut short in a violent act that also claimed the life of his friend.

On the evening of Sunday, January 8, 2012, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of the 1200 block of Dawkins Street in Durham, North Carolina. At approximately 9:12 p.m., an unknown individual or group fired numerous shots into the house at 1212 Dawkins Street, a home occupied by several people. When Durham police officers responded to the shooting call, they discovered a devastating scene inside. Timothy McGhee was found deceased, having been struck by the gunfire. Another man, 22-year-old Paul Anthony Noel Jr., was also critically injured. Emergency services rushed Noel to Duke University Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival. Both men died from gunshot wounds in what was ruled a double homicide.

The investigation into the killings was launched by the Durham Police Department. For years, detectives worked to piece together the events of that night and identify the person or persons responsible for firing into the occupied home. The case was a painful open wound for the families and the community, one of 24 homicides to occur in Durham that year. The initial investigation did not immediately lead to an arrest, and for more than three years, the families of Timothy McGhee and Paul Noel waited for a breakthrough.

Then, in April 2015, the case saw a significant development. Acting on information from Durham investigators, a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located a suspect in Goose Creek, South Carolina. On the morning of April 14, 2015, authorities arrested 38-year-old Tyrone Thompson. He was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Timothy McGhee and Paul Noel. Following his arrest, Thompson was held in the Berkeley County jail in South Carolina to await extradition back to North Carolina to face the charges.

News of the arrest brought a glimmer of hope for justice, marking a long-awaited step forward in the investigation that had stretched on for years. However, the subsequent legal proceedings against Tyrone Thompson are not clearly documented in publicly available records. While the arrest was reported, the outcome of the case following his extradition to Durham remains unclear.

The case of the double homicide on Dawkins Street illustrates the long and often frustrating path to resolution for families affected by violence. While an arrest was made, the final chapter of the legal process remains elusive in public-facing documents. Official police and CrimeStoppers websites have not been updated to reflect the arrest and still list the case as unsolved, highlighting the challenges in tracking a case through the complexities of the justice system over many years. As of the latest available information, the ultimate disposition of the charges against the man arrested for the murders of Timothy McGhee and Paul Noel is not publicly known.