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bf631d0f-04fb-4829-82ef-5f7c7dc59f37 #80, Most Important Issue January 28, 2026 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood First responders must react to what occurs, which can often feel like a game of “Whack-a-Mole,” where a player uses a padded mallet to bop motorized pests on the head when they pop up. If you’ve ever played, you know additional moles continue to spring out ─ often players face several at the same time. People frequently ask me to identify the most important issues in law enforcement today. In many ways, that’s like asking me to name the biggest moles rather than focus on preparing deputies and detention officers to successfully serve the community regardless of what problems surface. Using my “Whack-a-Mole” analogy, I certainly understand that we need to react and respond to the critters that surface most frequently. But as a leader, I know that difficulties of the moment are not necessarily the most important. Building and maintaining a team that anticipates and adapts to change is the most important issue in law enforcement today. It is also my most important duty. It is critical that I recruit, train, equip, support, and retain people who can protect and serve no matter what pops up. Despite its status as a profession rich in history and tradition, a law enforcement officer does not operate in a static world. Even people who entered the field less than a decade ago find themselves working in a very different environment today. This reality certainly keeps me engaged, even after 45 years. No two days are the same, much less the years. At our office, we have what we call “The Standard.” It is not a policy document, but rather a mindset. Although “standard” can mean garden-variety or average, we mean something quite different. Our standard is not mediocrity, but rather excellence, and we aspire to it every day. We anticipate change and, as creative-thinking, resilient problem-solvers, we adapt to emerging societal issues, law changes, and technology improvements. In this way, we uphold our standard and build our culture regardless of the challenges we face. I want to share three examples, starting with the growing mental health crisis. I am not just aware of the conversations occurring at the local, state, and federal levels; I participate in them, working with stakeholders, our Criminal Justice Resource Department, and my colleagues on the Governor’s Crime Commission. But deputies and detention officers experience the ramifications of this crisis daily and must adapt and increase their skills now. They do not have the luxury of such discussions, nor can they wait for mental health system reform, the completion of a new crisis facility, or the funding of a grant proposal. It is imperative that I provide them training and tools such as verbal judo classes, crisis intervention skills, mental health first aid, and similar courses. We see people’s daily struggles, witness the impact on loved ones, and respond to suicides and overdoses. Accordingly, I also continually monitor employee wellness and provide appropriate resources. COVID-19 certainly brought with it many societal changes. The pandemic taught a master class in the importance of leveraging technology and modernizing long-standing policy. For example, even though video and audio equipment made virtual court appearances possible years before 2020, it took the crisis to accelerate the legal and cultural changes necessary to regularize this efficient practice. Therefore, throughout our agency, we examined where else this lesson might apply. Now, we now primarily use video visitation at the detention center. Loved ones find it more convenient and detention officers have more time to attend to other critical duties. By embracing and adapting, we improved. My final example shows that I do not only expect staff members to adapt to change ─ I also challenge myself to stay flexible. Although I still personally find it difficult to sport facial hair while wearing my dress uniform, I changed our policy when I saw clear evidence that deputies and detention officers with well-groomed beards, moustaches, or sideburns could be both professional and approachable. Likewise, I saw the merit in allowing visible tattoos. As society’s views toward body ink shifted, I recognized that by forbidding tattoos, we were causing exceptional applicants to apply elsewhere. A tattoo has no bearing on a person’s ability to perform his or her duties at the highest level; therefore, I changed my stance. Referring again to “The Standard,” we must continually adapt, change, and grow. Remaining nimble is our superpower, because maintaining the ability to provide for public safety, regardless of issue, problem, or emergency, will always be the most important issue in law enforcement. Previous Next

8158fa74-bd18-4543-a98a-8e572ab346db < Back MAN CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS OF CHILD EXPLOITATION March 11, 2025 Hillsborough, NC (March 12, 2025) – Investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office charged Joseph Mejer, 45, of Carrboro today with ten counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class E felony. After receiving an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) tip, ICAC task force members began working this case in January 2025. Second-degree exploitation involves sharing material containing a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity. Assisted by Special Agent Ray Oliver of the Computer Crimes Unit at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, investigators served a search warrant on Mejer at his residence this morning. The magistrate placed him into the custody of the detention center under a $5,000.00 secured bond and set his first court appearance for 2:00 pm tomorrow afternoon. Investigator Gilchrist is the lead investigator, and more charges are possible. Anyone with information is asked to call him at (919) 245-2928. ### Previous Next 1/0

2b1d6479-c37f-4831-a881-7b6e987664f6 #63, OC Alerts, and an escaped convict August 28, 2024 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood Two weeks ago, we were actively searching for convicted murderer Ramone Alston who jumped from a North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC) transport vehicle upon arriving at UNC Hospital in Hillsborough. On foot, he headed north across Waterstone Drive and through a residential area. A witness saw him running past a neighborhood swimming pool, still wearing a belly chain and handcuffs. Shortly thereafter, he vanished into the woods. As an agency, our primary responsibility is to keep Orange County residents and visitors safe and able to move freely about their lives. Therefore, our top goals were to protect our community from Alston while assisting DAC with their efforts to capture him. Alston evaded capture for 67 hours before law enforcement officers removed him from a hotel room in Kannapolis 110 miles away and returned him to DAC custody. I want to share what we were doing in the interim and tell you about a critical service that can keep you informed in a variety of crisis situations. A search for an escaped prisoner requires resources and organization. After establishing a law-enforcement perimeter around the hospital campus, initiating K-9 searches, and deploying drone units to watch for Alston from the sky, I contacted Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders and requested his help. Orange County Emergency Management (OCEM) is responsible for the preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery from all hazards in Orange County. As such, OCEM arranged for the Orange County Campus of Durham Technical Community College to be our command center and began organizing hundreds of law enforcement officers arriving to help with the manhunt. Almost immediately, the OCEM team pushed out a message using a reverse 911 process and the OC Alerts notification system to many of the people living within a three-mile radius of the hospital campus. The message provided a description of Alston and told residents what to do if they saw him. Unfortunately, such “push messages” do not reach as many people as would be ideal. When most people had landline telephones, reverse 911 systems could blanket residents within defined geographical areas. Now, almost 75% of people in the US only use wireless phones. Therefore, it is critical for people without a landline to register their cell phones with OC Alerts. Currently, this valuable system is vastly underutilized. Although the Orange County population is approximately 150,000, only 12,853 people are registered. That is only 8.5 percent! Many people believe they will receive all relevant messages because they have received an AMBER alert or other safety message that “blew up” their phone. That belief is incorrect. Emergency management personnel can blanket all phones in an area in only two types of emergencies. The situation must either meet very specific and regulated qualifiers such as in the case of an AMBER or Blue alert, or the danger must pose a critical threat to everyone in the area. A critical threat might require evacuation or cause near-certain death if residents do not take immediate action. Examples include dam failures, airborne toxic chemicals, or raging and fast-moving wildfires. Please go to www.ReadyOrange.org for information about disaster and emergency preparedness. The link to sign up for OC alerts is prominent in the middle of this page. Create an account, provide your phone number or email, and select the type of alerts you want to receive. The system allows you to identify special needs you or your family may have. Additionally, you can indicate whether you have specialized training or are willing to volunteer your skills or equipment during a crisis. You can also go directly to the sign-up page at www.ocalertsnc.com . Returning to the events of two weeks ago, about two hours after issuing the first OC Alert, OCEM sent a second, similar message. This time they hit all landlines and registered cell phones within a five-mile radius. Obviously, the longer Alston was on the move, the farther away he could be, so they targeted a wider area. We continued the ground search for two days: 335 members from 19 law enforcement agencies thoroughly covered 1335 acres. When finished, we could say with confidence that Alston was no longer in Orange County. Meanwhile, investigators continued their intelligence operation, gathering and analyzing the information that ultimately led to locating Alston. He is now in a maximum-security prison, and we arrested two people for aiding and abetting his escape. We are extremely grateful to our OCEM partners – they are unsung heroes. Please thank them by creating or updating your existing OC Alert account. ### Previous Next

c16f8613-da35-441e-9a3c-47855adec12c < Back VUKMER IN CUSTODY March 6, 2026 Hillsborough, NC (March 6, 2026) – At approximately 5:15 pm, an Orange County investigator serving as a member of the US Marshals Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force, working with the Capital Area Regional Task Force in Grayson County, Virginia, took Matthew Vukmer into custody. At present, Vukmer declined to speak to investigators and requested an attorney. He awaits extradition to North Carolina, a process that may take several weeks. Vukmer’s truck will be towed to the Orange County impound lot for processing. Sheriff Blackwood said, “I am proud of the work our investigators did today. Our task force agreement with our federal partners once again served as a force multiplier, allowing us to quickly apprehend the suspect. We know the family and friends of Paula Floyd experienced a life-shattering event today, and we continue to extend our condolences. It is our hope that they take some small measure of comfort knowing that her assailant is in custody.” Previous Next 1/0

8a24a292-fb35-4fef-ba23-569374c495e0 #60, The Budget Process May 29, 2024 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood In early May, county manager Bonnie Hammersley released her recommended budget for the upcoming fiscal year, only a few weeks after she announced her plans to retire effective July 31, 2024. Chief among Bonnie’s many accomplishments during her time here in Orange County is her approach to the budget. She introduced a process for wrestling with this enormous task that I believe will remain as her most profound legacy. Personally, I am glad she will lead us through the budget adoption process one more time before she concludes her service. Bonnie started working for Orange County in the summer of 2014. At that time, I was actively running my first campaign. I had been involved in the budgetary process while serving under the former sheriff, and I think it is fair to say the county’s system at the time was complex and convoluted. I worked to understand different concepts, such as a zero-based budget versus a balanced one, and I worried about the process, which felt exceedingly daunting. Once elected in November, I met with the county manager. The very first thing Bonnie told me was not to worry about the budget. She promised the process would be simplified and it would work better. She was correct, and I’ve never been more grateful. State law requires county managers to present a balanced budget each year. I frequently spend time with North Carolina’s other 99 sheriffs, and when I hear their nightmarish budget stories, I am so appreciative of Bonnie’s leadership and the guidance of the wonderful team in finance. But for the difference in scale, county and household budgets resemble each other. When designing a budget, it is important to first determine income sources and fixed expenses. Next, emergencies and unexpected costs should be anticipated before ultimately charting a spending plan for the year that prioritizes needs while still allowing room to accommodate values-based decisions regarding any wants. Guiding principles for drafting a budget, whether public or personal, should include reasonableness and achievability. Bonnie and deputy county manager Travis Myren brought a new process to Orange County. Instead of each department submitting their own budget requests for consideration, management organized us into functional leadership teams, such as Education, General Government, and Human Services, where departments with thematically similar missions collaborated. Along with Emergency Services, the Criminal Justice Resource Department, and the courts, the Sheriff’s Office became part of the Public Safey group. Each department examined its desired programs, equipment requirements, interesting projects, and training needs, and selected its top five priorities for the year. These priorities formed the Public Safety master list. As a team, we then ranked items on the list, selecting the top three from each group of five. If a particular item on my list was also valued by other departments in the group, we ranked it highly. Essentially, we were collaborating to vet each department’s budget request and forward it with the support and approval of the Public Safety team. In this manner, we focused on the needs, narrowed the list of wants, and presented a mutually agreed upon priority list to the manager. Bonnie and Travis would then search for cost-effective ways to meet the identified needs. At every step, the process sought to get the best bang for the taxpayers’ buck and be a good steward of the funds entrusted to Orange County government. Meanwhile, the manager repeated this process with other functional leadership teams, eventually combining requests into a balanced budget which she recommended for adoption to the Board of County Commissioners. The Commissioners would then meet with each department to fine tune the budget, working from a set of priorities and numbers that reflected consideration, discussion, ranking, and trimming by knowledgeable people. This process, like many other things, morphed somewhat during the pandemic, but the tenets of it still guide us today. The thought that the Sheriff or any department head can financially run amuck is far-fetched. It is entertaining at best and dangerous at worst. With Bonnie’s guidance, we participated in a process that looked outward, not inward, and started with dedication to serving residents and exercising fiscal responsibility. It is no secret that I want to lead a premier agency, progressive in the way we think, work, and train. I am grateful to Bonnie and her team for helping me accomplish these goals within a budget that has been vetted by my peers, supported by the manager, and approved by the commissioners. I wish Bonnie Hammersley well in her retirement and future adventures, and I thank her for making the budget process transparent, logical, and efficient. ### Previous Next

37cfb8e9-e294-496c-b2d0-fd4bc6ea7119 #17, Good Samaritans October 28, 2020 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood These are difficult times. We are in a global pandemic, a time of social unrest, and in the middle of a contentious election season. Social media is an amazing vehicle for sharing information and connecting with others, but it has its downsides. People often post in anger or haste, and others read the posts and make assumptions or judgement without applying the most charitable interpretation to those posts. A person with a different opinion or favored political candidate is often viewed as a mortal enemy instead of just as a person with a different opinion or favored political candidate. I feel it is important to take a moment to recognize that social media can easily color a person’s perspective in a way that is not necessarily accurate. During a time when so many find themselves divided, it is important to remember we have people in our community who care about others, who have a heart, and who are willing to put others before themselves. There are those among us who realize we are more alike than we are different and understand that any one of us can make a positive contribution. In my more than 40 years of law enforcement experience, I have been on some pretty intense calls. From pulling a badly burned victim from an oil fire at a stone quarry, to preventing family members from reentering a mangled vehicle as they tried to retrieve a deceased family member, to holding the hand of the wife of a high school classmate as I told her that her husband had passed – this job is often not pleasant. But I have not done this job alone, and I am not only speaking about the assistance of the men and women who also serve in law enforcement or other branches of emergency services. I’ve done it with the assistance of countless unsung heroes, many of whom had no training and wore no badge. I’m speaking about the many unnamed people who made the decision to step forward and help someone in an emergency situation because they felt it was the right thing to do. Over the past several weeks, several members of my staff have shared “Good Samaritans” encounters with me. In one instance, there was a rollover accident on the interstate, and the car was on fire. My deputy told me when he arrived at the scene, there were half a dozen people actively trying to rescue and render aid to the occupants of the vehicle. These witnesses weren’t standing back looking or recording video - they actively placed themselves in danger to assist a person who needed help. Another deputy told me about arriving at a chest pains call to find a total stranger providing CPR. In both cases, the deputy seemed to have some degree of surprise that “regular people” were willing to get involved on behalf of someone they did not know. I want to recognize such efforts. These people stepped forward to do the work, rather than just driving by only to go home and complain on social media about being stuck in traffic. My deputies and I deeply appreciate the people who are willing to assist us with emergency situations; even though amidst the chaos of a crisis we might not get the chance to express our thanks. We want people to know it matters. Not only is it essential to the resolution of the emergency, it also boosts our morale to work alongside community members – no matter how briefly. It is hard to quantify the value of the “we are all in this together feeling” it gives us. We have also had that feeling many times over the last several months as individuals and groups within our community wrapped their collective arms around us and made us feel like we matter and that our service is valued. People have approached us on the street to say thank you. Businesses and individuals have sent lunch to the office. We’ve received phone calls, cards, and positive Facebook messages. This support has extended to the entire system of emergency services, including police, fire, EMS, telecommunicators, and those serving in medical facilities. Thank you for letting me use this edition of The Lowdown to express my thanks to the many brave, kind, and generous souls in our community. You help us remember that we are nowhere near as divided as one might think by reading social media. We are connected and responsible for each other, and we appreciate your help. Previous Next

Commend an Orange County Sheriff's Office, NC deputy. Commend a Deputy We're Proud to Serve You When our team members go above and beyond, we'd love to hear about it. When you relate a positive experience with one of our deputies, detention officers, or staff who has provided exceptional service, the recognition inspires us to continue serving Orange County with excellence. Tell Us Your Story Whether it was a helpful interaction, an act of kindness, or outstanding service, we value your feedback. Share your experience: Using the form below Visiting our office Calling us at (919) 245-2900 Every story matters and helps us celebrate the positive impact our team makes in the community. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.

6f6a24ef-8b0c-4654-92f1-ad4ef6cc300d #44, Crisis Unit January 25, 2023 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood Amber Keith-Drowns has been assisting people experiencing domestic violence or intimate-partner abuse for over 21 years; most practitioners in her field burn out within four years. Unfortunately, Amber’s tenacity has its genesis in family tragedy - her grandmother died as the result of interpersonal-family violence. I frequently say that most people in the law enforcement profession have their “WHY,” and Amber is no exception. She keeps her grandmother’s photo on her desk as a visible symbol of her motivation. Every day, Amber reads deputy reports and follows up on domestic disturbances, sexual assaults, child abuse situations, and anything a patrol deputy indicates might benefit from her expertise. She then processes any paperwork related to domestic violence protective orders (DVPO), and she communicates with clerks, judges, and involved advocates. She also provides services to people who call or walk into the office requesting assistance, information, or advice related to domestic violence. Some people are surprised that domestic violence and intimate-partner abuse affect both men and women and occur across all demographic categories, professions, and socioeconomic levels. Violence, of course, includes physical assaults of some sort, whereas abuse involves intimidation or the manipulation of power and control through mental, emotional, financial, or other means. Many people know something is unhealthy about their relationship, but because they have not been physically assaulted, they aren’t sure how to characterize their situation. Such people have what Amber calls “lightbulb moments” in her office when they recognize an abusive relationship can exist even in the absence of bruising or broken bones. In other words, domestic violence is one form of an abusive relationship, but it is not the only one. A DVPO is also known as a 50B, a term which refers to the chapter in the North Carolina General Statutes governing civil actions related to domestic violence. Although it has limitations, a 50B is a powerful tool in the fight against domestic violence. These restraining orders can require an abuser to stay away and have no contact with the victim. The defendant might be ordered to leave the shared residence, and the victim may receive temporary custody of children, at least until a safety plan can be established. In 2022, our Crisis Unit filed 254 DVPOs, assisted with 110 filed by others, and provided consultation, enforcement, or ancillary service related to 108 DVPOs from other counties and states. Of course, not everyone we help needs, wants, or qualifies for a 50B. Therefore, the Crisis Unit provided information and referral, advocacy, assistance with criminal warrants, emergency response, and other forms of supportive services to 1,272 additional people last year. Two full-time law enforcement officers assist Amber. Deputy C. Faircloth has primary responsibility for serving and enforcing DVPOs and/or release conditions established by a judge in a criminal matter. Faircloth also monitors the communications of detention center residents who have been ordered not to contact their victims. Often, newly arrested people make a phone call to the victim in their case almost immediately upon entering the facility. Many continue to do so, despite judicial orders prohibiting such contact and multiple phone system warnings advising that all calls are monitored and recorded! Deputy C. Miller provides supplementary services through the EASE program, an acronym for Empowerment, Advocacy, Safety, and Enforcement. A Governor’s Crime Commission grant supports this program. Who wrote the grant application? Why, Amber, of course! Functioning as a liaison with the District Attorney’s Office and the District Court Judges who hear these cases, Deputy Miller communicates with victims and collaborating agencies, addresses safety and lethality concerns, and facilitates supervised custody exchanges. The National Advocate Credentialing Program recently certified Amber as an Advanced Comprehensive Victim Intervention Specialist in domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking. Beth Posner, Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC School of Law, wrote a letter in support of Amber’s application for this credential. She said, “Amber creates the docket and sits next to the clerk and the judge, demonstrating the profound role advocacy can play in a courtroom when an advocate has earned the respect and admiration she has within our civil and criminal justice system.” Moreover, the Hillsborough Exchange Club, an organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, paid the fee for Amber’s credentialing application and provides emergency supplies for victims. This robust community support speaks volumes. In any emergency, call 911. If you are not in immediate danger, but experience violence or abuse within your relationship, contact our Crisis Unit at (919) 644-3050 or by clicking the Crisis Unit tab on our homepage (www.ocsonc.com ) and selecting “Request Crisis Unit Contact.” Walk-in service is also available Monday through Friday. Amber and her team are ready to help. Previous Next

The services provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Office of North Carolina. We Provide a Range of Services to Meet Our Community's Diverse Needs Below is a list of services provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and links to their request pages. FINGERPRINTING READ MORE CCW PERMITS READ MORE CRISIS UNIT READ MORE CLOSE PATROL HOUSE CHECKS READ MORE OFF-DUTY DEPUTY READ MORE JOSH'S HOPE READ MORE LIFETRACK READ MORE SPECIAL EVENTS READ MORE COMMUNITY WATCH READ MORE OCSO FACILITY TOURS READ MORE

a4b8202f-68cd-4168-8be6-1ed18e3bdfff #13, Body Worn Cameras June 24, 2020 Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood We have recently experienced increased community interest in our use of body worn cameras, and I am glad to have this forum to tell you more about these important devices. We began our body worn camera (BWC) program a year ago. We purchased Motorola Remote Speaker Mic cameras. These combine a high resolution camera, microphone, and speaker into a compact device placed on a deputy’s chest. The cameras are approximately $880 apiece. However, like with a cellphone, the initial investment in equipment is small when compared with the ongoing costs. Storage space on cloud-based servers is particularly expensive, and we accumulated 3.35 terabytes of audio and video files in one year. A five year subscription for infrastructure services and the digital evidence management system is $230,625.00. We retain all video data for 120 days; however, after that period, not all of it may be deleted. Footage from a felony, such as a murder, may need to be retained for several years. The total cost of the program, including cameras, batteries, cables, chargers, adapters, and other accessories is $281,058.51. Unlike dashboard cameras, wired to turn on with the blue lights, a deputy must manually activate a BWC. The cameras constantly receive data; to conserve battery life, they only save data from 30 seconds prior to the time of activation. Saving data consumes a great deal of a battery’s capacity. In passive mode, a battery lasts approximately six hours. In active save mode, it lasts only two. Although each deputy receives two batteries and a car charger, a busy shift can easily deplete both. Deputies generally remember to activate their cameras. However, in emergent situations, they may forget or simply be unable to activate the camera as a matter of survival. Recently, a pit bull charged a deputy as he exited his vehicle. The deputy did not have time to turn his camera on before the dog attacked. Fortunately, the situation resolved with only minor injuries to the deputy and no injury to the dog. However, had the deputy needed to shoot the dog, the deputy would have needed to justify his actions AND explain why he did not record the encounter. Our policy specifies four situations when BWCs should be activated: all enforcement and investigative contacts, traffic stops, self-initiated activity requiring notification to Orange Central Communications, and any other situation that becomes adversarial although it would not otherwise require recording. Once a deputy activates the camera, it is to remain on until the deputy reasonably believes his or her direct participation in the event is complete, or the situation no longer meets the criterion for recording. Our policy considers the dignity and privacy concerns of the individuals being recorded. A deputy may discontinue recording when these concerns legitimately outweigh any law enforcement interest in the recording. I admit I had some initial resistance to body cameras, and not only because of the cost of the program. I feared morale might suffer if deputies perceived the program signaled a lack of trust, I thought it would take too much time to upload footage, and I worried activating the camera upon arrival at a complex and dangerous scene might cause distraction and delay. I am happy to report my skepticism was unwarranted. The cameras preserve visual and audio details of an interaction from the deputy’s point of view, which is different from the angle of bystander cell phone video. Numerous times, the recordings have provided irrefutable proof that deputies treat people respectfully and follow agency policy despite danger, chaotic scenes, and verbal abuse. If, however, a recording were to support a complaint, it would be invaluable material to guide decisions about whether the matter was one best addressed through additional training, or if disciplinary action or termination were warranted. In similar fashion, the cameras are useful as part of our field training program. A supervisor is able to hold “film sessions” with a trainee much like a coach does with his or her players. The recordings also provide protection against frivolous and malicious complaints. I appreciate and specifically want to thank County Commissioner Mark Dorosin for being so persistent and convincing me to move forward with the BWC initiative. The unbiased view from the camera has repeatedly provided opportunities to settle disputes where one person’s word differs from the other’s. Deputies now welcome the power of video; they have seen it refute dishonest or embellished reports of their actions. They also recognize the cameras document the professionalism with which they approach their duties. If you see my deputies in the community, feel free to talk to them about our BWC program, and as always, call me if you have questions or concerns. Previous Next

bbb822e5-3500-4d65-9e6f-d7a26e9ad201 < Back WOMEN DIES AFTER BEING STABBED; INVESTIGATORS LOOK FOR ASSAILANT March 6, 2026 Hillsborough, NC (March 6, 2026) – Investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office obtained a first-degree murder charge for Matthew Jared Vukmer, 53, after he allegedly stabbed Paula Floyd, 54, to death this morning at his home. Deputies are looking for Vukmer, a white male, five foot, eleven inches tall with no facial hair. When last seen, he was wearing a dark T-shirt and green shorts. He left his residence in the Wyngate community, which is southeast of the Hillsborough city limits, driving a dark-colored Ford Super Duty truck with North Carolina license tag JL-6012. “I offer my deepest condolences to Ms. Floyd’s family and friends,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “We are eager to get Vukmer into custody as soon as possible, and we ask people to be on the lookout for him or his truck.” Vukmer should be considered dangerous, and he may still be in possession of a knife or other weapon. If you see him, please call 911 immediately and do not approach. Investigator T. Hall is the contact person for this case. If you have any relevant information, please call him at (919) 245-2905. Previous Next Vukmer's truck.JPG Vukmer.jpg Vukmer's truck.JPG 1/2

Request Orange County Sheriff's Office personel at your Special Event. Special Events You may request a deputy make an appearance at your event for community outreach purposes. Please complete the form below and a member of our staff will reach out to you regarding your request. Each request is approved or denied on a case-by-case basis and depending on staffing. If you need to request a paid Off-Duty Deputy for security or traffic purposes, CLICK HERE for the Off-Duty Deputy form.