Crime
Everton Thomas, his wife and son arrested for murder of missing Camden man Harold Miller Jr
CAMDEN, N.J. — Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez announced the arrest and charging of a Camden man and two of his family members in connection with the murder of a Deptford Township man whose body has not been recovered.
On September 11, 2025, detectives charged 41-year-old Everton Thomas with first-degree Murder in the death of 48-year-old Harold “Hal” Miller Jr.
Thomas also faces charges of second-degree Desecration of Human Remains and fourth-degree Tampering with Physical Evidence.
His wife, 41-year-old Sherrie Parker, and his son, 22-year-old Deshawn Thomas, are each charged with second-degree Desecration of Human Remains and fourth-degree Tampering with Physical Evidence.
Miller was reported missing to the Deptford Township Police Department on June 14, 2025, after friends said he had last been seen playing cards in Camden during the early morning hours of June 12, 2025.
Later that same day, Miller’s unoccupied vehicle was discovered in Pennsauken.
As detectives investigated, surveillance footage and cell phone records placed Miller at a residence in the 2600 block of Baird Boulevard in Camden at approximately 11:30 a.m. on June 12.
Moments after his arrival, the video captured the sound of what investigators described as a single gunshot. Miller was never seen leaving the residence.
The same surveillance system later recorded Everton Thomas moving Miller’s vehicle and parking it in the location where it was ultimately recovered in Pennsauken.
Investigators discovered that Sherrie Parker and Deshawn Thomas purchased a chainsaw, containers, trash bags, and cleaning supplies shortly after Miller entered the residence but failed to exit.
Additional video surveillance allegedly showed both Everton and Deshawn Thomas making multiple trips to the Tamarack Apartments dumpsters, discarding containers and bags before leaving the area.
On June 20, 2025, a search warrant was executed at the defendants’ residence.
Detectives recovered suspected bloodstains inside the home and found Everton Thomas carrying a loaded firearm with one round chambered and nine rounds in the magazine.
The following day, before charges were filed, Thomas fled the United States and crossed into Canada. Subsequent forensic testing later confirmed that the blood evidence inside the residence matched Harold Miller Jr.
After an exhaustive multi-agency investigation, all three defendants were formally charged on September 5, 2025.
On September 8, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force – Camden Division arrested Sherrie Parker and Deshawn Thomas in Camden. Both are currently being held at the Camden County Correctional Facility.
On the same date, U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested Everton Thomas at the Port of Buffalo, New York, after he re-entered the country from Canada on a commercial bus. He is currently detained in New York pending extradition to New Jersey.
The case is being led by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit, with assistance from the Camden County Police Department, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Deptford Township Police Department.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Jake Siegfried of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit at (856) 225-5086, or Detective Andrew Mogck of the Camden County Police Department at (609) 519-8588.
Crime
19-Year-Old Peyton Patterson Killed in WSSU Homecoming Shooting; Ziyaire Spinks Charged With Murder
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A 19-year-old man was killed and a 22-year-old woman was injured in a shooting on the Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) campus during homecoming weekend, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
The fatal shooting occurred Saturday night, November 7, 2026, in the 600 block of South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on the university campus.
Police said officers responded at approximately 9:46 p.m. after receiving reports of gunfire. Officers who were already in the area reportedly heard the shots and immediately moved toward the scene.
Upon arrival, officers found Peyton Izaia Patterson, 19, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers began performing lifesaving measures before emergency medical services personnel arrived and continued treatment. Despite those efforts, Patterson succumbed to his injuries.
His next of kin has been notified.
A second victim, identified as Alyssa Janae Ellerbee, 22, was also found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. She was transported to a local hospital, where she received treatment and was later released.
As the investigation progressed, authorities identified Ziyaire Antonyo Spinks, 20, as a suspect. He was charged with:
- General Murder
- Assault With a Deadly Weapon With Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury (ADWIKISI)
- Felony Possession of a Firearm on Educational Property
Police said Spinks was being held without bond at the time of the announcement.
A second man was also reported to be in custody. However, authorities have not publicly released his name or provided details about any charges against him.
The police department said it would not release a photograph of Spinks because the investigation remains ongoing.
The Winston-Salem Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division has taken over the investigation and continues to examine the circumstances surrounding Patterson’s death and the shooting.
Detectives have determined that the incident was isolated, according to police. Authorities have not released additional information about what led to the gunfire or the circumstances immediately preceding the shooting.
Police said further confirmed information would be released as it becomes available.
The investigation remains active.