Emily Haddock’s tragic death had shocked her community back in 2007. The 12-year-old was fatally shot by home intruders in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The suspects in her death were caught and convicted three years after her murder. What happened to Emily’s family, and where are the assailants now? We explain Emily Haddock’s case here.
Emily Haddock’s Family
Emily Elizabeth Haddock, born in 1995, was the daughter of Joy Scott Haddock and Jeff Haddock. She lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina along with her parents and brother, Ryan Haddock.
She was a seventh grade student at New Century Middle School in Cameron. She attended First Baptist Church of Hope Mills. She also enjoyed horseback riding, participating in the school band, and swimming.
Posted by Joy Scott Haddock on Saturday, June 15, 2013
Emily passed away on September 21, 2007. She is survived by her parents, brother, and grandparents as well as extended family.
Her family remembers her fondly to this date. Her mother’s social media includes pictures of Emily at her happiest.
Seeing the local police doing their best to help their family and seek justice for Emily, her brother Ryan Haddock was inspired to join law enforcement. He currently serves in the Fayetteville Police Department.
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Emily Haddock’s Death
The Haddock family had moved to a new house on Marks Road outside of Vass a few months before Emily’s death. The area was reportedly secluded with no other houses nearby.
Emily Haddock stayed home from school sick on September 21, 2007. Intruders broke into the Moore County home and shot her.
Posted by Joy Scott Haddock on Sunday, September 2, 2018
Her grandfather had stopped by the house to check on her and found the door forced open. He found Emily’s body and called 911.
The autopsy revealed she had been shot several times by a small caliber gun. There was another break-in at a house near the Haddocks’ residence where a suspect was identified. Investigators initially looked into whether the two break-ins were connected.
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Suspects in Emily Haddock’s Murder
A few days after Emily’s tragic murder, police made the first arrests in the case. Three suspects were initially identified as Van Roger Smith Jr. (born February 5, 1991), Sherrod Nicholas Harrison (December 27, 1987), and Michael Graham Currie (born March 24, 1989).
In their first court appearance, the three teens were charged with first-degree murder and breaking and entering. Each suspect also had a past arrest record.
Perry Ross Schiro (born September 29, 1987) was the fourth suspect named in the case. Ryan Jermar White (November 15, 1988) was arrested in October.
All suspects had past arrest records for breaking and entering and robbery. At least one of them also had drug-related arrests.
All five teens were indicted on charges of murder and breaking and entering. The youngest suspect, Smith, was being tried as an adult, while prosecutors sought the death penalty against Harrison and Currie.
The trials went on through 2010 with questions about whether the assailants could get the death penalty given their age at the time of the crime.
Currie was believed to be the ringleader of the group. Prosecutors offered Harrison a plea deal for a reduced sentenced and he was expected to testify against Currie.
After initially rejecting a plea deal by prosecutors, Currie pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, admitting to be the person who pulled the trigger. As part of the deal, prosecutors did not seek the death penalty for him. Currie was instead sentenced to life in prison in 2010, which he is serving at Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville.
Harrison pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the murder. He was sentenced to 93 to 121 months in prison in 2010. Harrison was released in 2015.
Smith admitted to being an accessory after the fact of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 58 to 79 months in prison in 2010. After serving his sentence in Lanesboro C.I., he was released on parole in 2013.
Schiro also pleaded guilty to the same accessory charge. He was sentenced to 120 to 249 months. He was released in 2019 and his last known movement was in June 2020.
Ryan Jermar White has been in and out of prison on various charges. His last known infraction was in July 2020 and he is currently serving time in Craven CI with an expected release date in 2021.
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