Over twenty years following the tragic death of a teenager in North Carolina, initially ruled a hit-and-run, a police officer has emerged as a person of interest in what is now being treated as a homicide investigation.
As reported by WRAL, the renewed focus of the investigation is on a Four Oaks police officer in connection with the 2004 death of 16-year-old Josh Davis. At this stage, the officer has not faced any charges, and the details of their potential involvement remain uncertain.
Josh Davis tragically lost his life on January 6, 2004, while walking along Hall Boulevard in Garner, according to investigators.
Authorities report that Davis and his cousin were strolling through a residential area when the cousin briefly left to fetch something from a nearby house. Upon his return, he discovered Davis bleeding by the roadside; Davis was later declared deceased at a hospital.
Josh Davis, 16, passed away in 2004 in Garner, North Carolina, and his case is now under investigation as a homicide. (Garner NC Police)
Initially, investigators suspected that Davis had been the victim of a hit-and-run, suffering a fatal head injury. For years, the circumstances of his death remained ambiguous, leaving questions about whether it was an accident or a deliberate act.
Now, more than 20 years later, Garner police are working alongside the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) as they pursue new leads. The renewed investigation has gained momentum in recent weeks, with officials confirming in mid-April that new information had emerged.
A Four Oaks Police Department vehicle in North Carolina. (Four Oaks Police Department)
A search warrant cited by WRAL indicates investigators developed information from a former spouse of the officer who is a person of interest, and noted inconsistencies in statements given in 2004 and again in recent interviews.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave, and authorities searched a home in Benson in late March, seizing electronic devices as part of the investigation, the outlet reported.
In a statement shared with WRAL, NCSBI confirmed it is assisting Garner police and actively investigating new leads but declined to provide additional details.
“The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Garner Police Department with information concerning a 2004 cold case,” the agency said. “The SBI is actively investigating new leads in this case. At this time, no additional information is available.”
As the case resurfaces, Davis’ family is urging anyone with knowledge of what happened to come forward.
“Somebody watching this video knows who killed my brother,” his sister, Alyssa Hatcher, said in a recent public message.
Garner police are working with state investigators as they pursue new leads in the 2004 death of Josh Davis. (Garner NC Police)
Hatcher said she was just 13 years old when her brother died and described the lasting toll on her family, which has spent decades without answers.
“For two decades now, my family has had no answers,” she said. “Until now, I feel like we might get a little bit of closure.”
In a direct appeal, Hatcher addressed the individual who is responsible for her brother’s death, urging them to speak with investigators.
“I’m not coming at you with anger as Josh’s little sister,” she said. “I don’t feel like you set out that night knowing someone would lose their life … I would just love if you could go talk to the detectives.”
She also claimed that people in the community have long discussed what happened that night without reporting it.
“We know that one person who has gone around and talked about that night over and over again,” Hatcher said. “Possibly bragged about that night.”
Authorities are echoing that call.
“The Garner Police Department is asking for the public’s help in an unsolved homicide case,” the agency said in a release, urging anyone with information “no matter how small or seemingly insignificant” to contact investigators.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Garner Police Investigations at 919-772-8810.
Fox News Digital has reached out to NCSBI, the Garner Police Department and the Four Oaks Police Department for additional comment.
