The fatal October hit-and-run that killed Huntersville bicyclist Jaycob Len Neece is now the focus of a widening criminal case in Lincoln County, where a grand jury has indicted a second person in connection with the crash.
Minyon Yasmell Thomas is charged with felony hit-and-run inflicting death and involuntary manslaughter. The new indictment comes months after a different man was first arrested as the suspected driver in the case. Investigators say the collision happened on N.C. 73 in the Cowans Ford area and left Neece, 23, dead at the scene.
According to WCNC, court records show a Lincoln County grand jury returned the indictment on Feb. 5 and allege Thomas was driving the 2014 Honda CR-V that struck Neece. The filings say the driver "willfully failed to immediately stop at the scene of the crash" and "facilitated, allowed and agreed to the removal of the vehicle," language prosecutors cited in seeking the manslaughter and felony hit-and-run counts. WCNC reports those allegations are drawn from documents produced during a months-long investigation by troopers and local law enforcement.
Crash and initial arrest
Troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol told local outlets the collision occurred at about 3:05 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2025, on N.C. 73 near South Pilot Knob Road. Neece's bicycle was later recovered near the Cowans Ford Dam Overlook, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Local reporting, including WHKY, states that 30-year-old Brian Marcus James was arrested in Huntersville in October and initially charged with felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor death by vehicle. His bond was set at $40,000, and the vehicle involved was seized as evidence.
New charges for the initial suspect
As WCNC reports, court records indicate prosecutors later replaced James's original counts with new indictments that include felony hit-and-run with injury and two counts of accessory after the fact. The updated paperwork alleges James helped others remove or conceal the vehicle after the crash rather than acting solely as the driver.
Those accessory counts signal that investigators are treating the case as involving more than one person in the immediate aftermath of the collision, with attention not just on who was behind the wheel, but on what was done with the SUV once Neece had been struck.
Legal context
Under North Carolina law, a willful failure to stop when a crash results in death is a serious felony offense. State statutes, including recent session law updates, also spell out that helping remove a vehicle from a fatal crash scene before investigators finish their work can itself lead to criminal charges.
The state's manslaughter statute classifies involuntary manslaughter as a felony and provides the framework prosecutors use when alleging an unintentional killing tied to negligent or unlawful conduct. To win convictions on the manslaughter and felony hit-and-run counts, prosecutors will have to prove causation, knowledge, and willfulness, elements that can get complicated when multiple people are allegedly involved and a vehicle is moved after the crash. The North Carolina General Assembly and the manslaughter statute as published by Justia provide the legal framework cited by prosecutors.
The indictments remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The cases will move through Lincoln County's court system, with the defendants given opportunities to respond to the charges at arraignment and in pretrial hearings. Future court dates will appear in the public docket as they are scheduled.
