SCOOP: Shooting investigation concludes in arrest, victim identified
Rutherford County Sheriff's Office detectives charge 20-year-old Mooresboro man in fatal incident
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RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A February shooting that claimed the life of a young mother has led to an arrest following an extensive investigation by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 26, 2025, deputies responded to a call at 1561 Race Path Church Rd., where they found 24-year-old Destiny Faith Wyatt suffering from a gunshot wound. Investigators and forensic teams secured the scene, executing a search warrant to collect evidence and conduct interviews.
Wyatt was transported to Atrium Health in Cleveland County, where she succumbed to her injuries. Authorities later secured warrants for Kenneth Ronald Dixon II, 20, of Ellenboro, charging him with involuntary manslaughter, police said today. Dixon surrendered himself at the Rutherford County Detention Facility on March 9, 2025, and was issued a $50,000 secured bond, set by judicial officials.
Cops & Congress first learned of the arrest this morning but waited to publish this report until police confirmed details.
Wyatt, a resident of Missionary Plantation Road in Ellenboro, was born on November 3, 2000, in Cleveland County, NC, to James Michael Wyatt and Michelle Christine Dimuro, according to an obituary. “She is survived by her parents; her daddy, Ben McCurry; her boyfriend, Thomas Proctor of Ellenboro; and her three children, Memphis McCurry, Tommy Proctor, and Hadley McCurry, all of Ellenboro. She also leaves behind her siblings, Kevin Rojas of Miami, FL, Michael Wyatt of Shelby, Aaron Wyatt of Shelby, Rebecca Cook of Lawndale, and Victoria Wyatt of Casar, as well as her nieces, Kayden, McKenna, and Skylar, and her nephews, Brayden and Braxton,” it said.
A public records request for the court documents in this case is pending. Authorities described the situation as a tragedy and urged the community to approach discussions about the case with sensitivity.
Opinion & Analysis: Cops & Congress Commentary
A Life Lost, A Bond Too Low
Out of respect for Destiny Wyatt and her loved ones, I am limiting my commentary on this case. A young mother lost her life, and that is a tragedy that speaks for itself.
However, the main takeaway for me right now is this: bond amounts for violent offenses are extraordinarily low. In this case, a man charged in connection with Destiny’s death was given a $50,000 secured bond—meaning he is now walking free by paying just $5,000 to a bail bondsman. That’s the cost of a typical used car, not the price one might expect for a life lost.
This isn’t about guilt or innocence—that’s for the courts to decide. But it does raise an important question: Does our bond system reflect the seriousness of violent crimes? Time and again, we see bonds set so low that they seem out of touch with public safety concerns and the value of human life.
I’ll leave it at that for now. Destiny Wyatt deserves justice, and at the very least, she deserves for us to ask whether our system is working the way it should. State lawmakers and the sentencing commission have the power to change the bond amounts and sentencing structure.
🏛️ All those mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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