On Sunday, March 30, 2025, at approximately 6:01 a.m., the Statesville Police Department responded to an armed robbery at 1924 Newton Drive in Statesville, North Carolina. Two masked suspects entered the store, with one displaying a handgun. The suspects demanded money from the employee and took cash from the register before fleeing west on foot. They were seen entering a black sedan.
The Criminal Investigations Division arrived at the scene to collect evidence and begin the investigation. Using the department’s Verkada camera system, investigators identified the suspect vehicle as a black 2001 Honda Accord. Further investigation led to the identification of one of the suspects as Joseph Nicholas Sherrill, 34, of Statesville.
Investigators learned that the vehicle had been spotted in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and immediately notified the Wilkesboro Police Department. On March 31, 2025, Wilkesboro officers located the car parked at an apartment complex. Surveillance was maintained, and officers observed the suspect leaving the complex. A traffic stop was conducted at a nearby convenience store, where the driver was identified as Joseph Nicholas Sherrill and the passenger as Thomas Joshua Byers, 34, also of Statesville.
A handgun believed to have been used in the robbery was recovered from inside the vehicle. Statesville Police Department investigators traveled to Wilkesboro to assist in gathering evidence and interviewing the suspects. Both Sherrill and Byers were transported to the Iredell County Detention Center and charged with Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Felony Conspiracy. They are being held without bond, pending their first court appearance.
The Statesville Police Department expressed gratitude for the swift and coordinated response from the Wilkesboro Police Department, which played a key role in the successful resolution of the case.
