Arrest made in notorious 2008 killings at Concord Sun Drop plant, NC police say

A suspect in the notorious 2008 double homicide at Concord’s Sun Drop Bottling Company has been captured nearly 3,000 miles away, in Washington state, according to police in North Carolina.

Johnny Steven Talbert, 43, was arrested Thursday at Port Angeles, Washington, on warrants for two counts of first-degree murder, and one count of robbery with a firearm or other dangerous weapon, Concord police said in a May 25 news release.

He is being held without bail as a “fugitive from justice’ in the Clallam County Jail in Washington State, officials said.

Investigators suspect Talbert killed 59-year-old Donna Barnhardt and 44-year-old Darrell Noles during a robbery at the plant, which is about a 25-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

“At approximately 10 a.m. on June 13, 2008, officers with the Concord PD responded to a reported shooting inside the Sun Drop Bottling Company, located at 360 Old-Salisbury Concord Road,” Concord police said.

“Officers located two gunshot wound victims. ... deceased at the scene. Barnhardt was the long-time office manager for the Sundrop Bottling Company and Noles was there to apply for a job.”

A 2008 Charlotte Observer reports Barnhardt was “working behind the front desk as she had for nearly 20 years” when she was killed. An employee working in a different part of the plant heard the shots and called police after finding the victims.

A man was seen fleeing the scene on foot, and a composite sketch was developed.

However, it wasn’t until late 2025 that “detectives uncovered critical information that ultimately led to Talbert’s arrest,” police said. Investigators say that break came by a reexamination of evidence and undeveloped leads.

Concord police contacted Port Angeles police in December, resulting in Talbert being located, officials said. Port Angeles is 2,946 miles northwest of Concord.

“Detectives believe the suspect shot and killed the victims and stole money from the front office before fleeing the scene,” police said.

“The families of Donna Barnhardt and Darrell Noles have been informed of Talbert’s arrest.”

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 5:37 AM.