Year: 2024

By Catharin Shepard • Editor • John Brian Rockholt last week pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2019 slaying of Hoke County machinist and motorcycle designer Galen Christopher DeBruler, and was sentenced to at least 18 years in prison. Rockholt was originally charged with first-degree murder. Attorneys negotiated a plea deal, and Rockholt pleaded...

(This story was originally published May 8, 2024) By Catharin Shepard • Editor • The News-Journal has hired a lawyer to represent the newspaper in its public records lawsuit against Hoke County. With support from the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA), the newspaper has retained attorney Mike Tadych of the Stevens, Martin, Vaughn and Tadych...