Concord’s nearly 18-year-old Sun Drop bottling plant double murder case may finally be heading toward a courtroom after an out-of-state arrest that locals have been waiting on for years. Authorities say a 43-year-old man was taken into custody in Port Angeles, Washington, this month and now faces charges tied to the June 13, 2008 shootings that left two people dead. Concord detectives had gone back over the cold case last winter and traveled to the Pacific Northwest before the arrest. The families of the victims have been notified, and investigators say the probe is still very much active.
According to WCNC, Concord police identified the suspect as 43-year-old Johnny Steven Talbert. A Cabarrus County arrest warrant was obtained on May 21, 2026, charging him with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a firearm or other dangerous weapon. Port Angeles police took Talbert into custody without incident, and he is being held without bail at the Clallam County Jail while he awaits extradition.
The killings date back to June 13, 2008, when a man walked into the Sun Drop Bottling Company and opened fire, fatally wounding longtime office manager Donna Barnhardt, 59, and 44-year-old Darrell Noles, who had gone to the plant to apply for a job. Both were pronounced dead at the scene at 360 Old Salisbury-Concord Road. The case drew a large reward and national attention before going cold, as documented by WBTV.
How Investigators Say the Case Came Back Into Focus
Concord detectives took another hard look at the evidence in late 2025 and say that review uncovered leads pointing to Talbert. Investigators contacted the Port Angeles Police Department on December 19, 2025, and traveled to Port Angeles on May 18 as part of the follow-up work, according to reporting by Peninsula Daily News. Officers in Port Angeles later found Talbert in the 2300 block of West 18th Street and arrested him without incident, court documents state.
Legal Next Steps
Local records and reporting show a Cabarrus County warrant was filed on May 21, and Talbert is being held in Clallam County while extradition moves forward. A judge signed an order to hold him for 30 days, and a status hearing was set for June 12, as first reported by WCNC. If Cabarrus County prosecutors pursue formal charges, the case will shift from investigation to the courtroom.
Concord police say the investigation is ongoing and are urging anyone with information to speak up. Tips can be reported to the Concord Police Department at 704-920-5000 or to Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME (704-932-7463), per WSOC.
The 2008 slayings rattled the community and drew rewards and national TV attention, and investigators and volunteers kept the file open for years. Police say this arrest is a long-awaited step toward answers, while stressing that the charges remain allegations and that due process will unfold through the extradition process and any future court proceedings.
