More than 18 years after two people were shot and killed inside the Sun Drop Bottling Company on Old Salisbury-Concord Road, the man accused of their murders is in the Cabarrus County Jail.
Johnny Steven Talbert, 43, was extradited from Washington state and taken into custody by the Concord Police Department on Monday, Aug. 10. He faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon in the June 13, 2008, killings of Donna Barnhardt, 59, and Darrell Noles, 44.
Talbert is being held without bond, according to a Concord Police Department press release.
"While nothing can take away the pain and heavy burden the families have carried for the last 18 years, today our community rests a little easier knowing that we have our suspect in custody and we are one step closer to bringing justice to Donna, Darrell, and their families," Concord Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said in the release.
What happened in 2008
Officers responded to a reported shooting at the Sun Drop Bottling Company, located at 360 Old Salisbury-Concord Road near the intersection of Branchview Drive and Cabarrus Avenue, around 10 a.m. on June 13, 2008. Barnhardt, the company's longtime office manager, and Noles, who was there to apply for a job, were found with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene, according to WXII.
Investigators believe the suspect shot both victims, stole money from the front office and fled on foot toward Cabarrus Avenue. An arrest warrant states Talbert allegedly stole $9,905.42 from the business, WBTV reported.
A composite sketch was released in September 2008. The case was featured on America's Most Wanted, and a $50,000 reward was offered at various points during the investigation, according to WBTV. Despite hundreds of community tips, the case went cold.
The break
Concord detectives got a break in late 2025 after what the department described as a meticulous reexamination of evidence and pursuit of previously undeveloped leads. Detectives contacted the Port Angeles Police Department in Washington about Talbert on Dec. 19, 2025.
Concord investigators traveled to Port Angeles on May 18, 2026, for further investigation. Three days later, on May 21, Port Angeles police arrested Talbert. He had been held in the Clallam County Jail in Washington while awaiting extradition.
The Port Angeles Police Department reported approximately 288 contacts with Talbert since November 2011, including 14 arrests, two involving felony charges.
What's next
Hughes said the department's priority is ensuring the case moves through the judicial system "fairly and without compromise." The department said it will not release additional information, citing respect for the privacy of the victims' families.
Anyone with information about the case can call Concord police at 704-920-5000 or 704-93-CRIME to remain anonymous.
