Lt. Detective Chris Taylor with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged 50-year-old Joseph Hartwell Jr. with 3 counts of felonious Attempted Murder and 3 counts of felonious Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury. Hartwell is being held under no bond.
On the night of October 3rd, deputies responded to a residence on Jacktown Rd for a reported shooting. They discovered three female victims who had sustained gunshot wounds. The suspect, identified as Hartwell, had fled the scene in his vehicle prior to deputies’ arrival. After a countywide search, deputies were able to locate Hartwell’s wrecked vehicle on Asheworth Rd and began a search on foot. Hartwell was located in a nearby wooded area and taken into custody.
Hartwell was taken in front of a magistrate who placed a "no bond" hold on him pending his first appearance in McDowell County district court. The investigation is ongoing at this time.
“I am proud of the collaborative efforts between all of our law enforcement, district attorney's office, magistrate and emergency service partners. With this collective effort, we were able to locate the suspect and take him into custody before anyone else was hurt. Our prayers are with the victims of this heinous crime and we truly hope for speedy recoveries.” -Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan
The Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Marion Police Department, NC State Highway Patrol, US Marshal Service, Old Fort Police Department, NC State Bureau of Investigation and McDowell County Emergency Services for their assistance.
