Suspect in 2008 ‘Sun Drop Murders’ extradited to Cabarrus County
Johnny Steven Talbert, charged with killing Donna Barnhardt and Darrell Noles 18 years ago, is being held without bond in the Cabarrus County Jail.
A man charged in connection with the 2008 killings of Donna Barnhardt and Darrell Noles at Concord’s Sun Drop Bottling Company is now back in Cabarrus County, nearly three months after his arrest in Washington state.
Johnny Steven Talbert, 43, was extradited from Washington and taken into custody by the Concord Police Department Monday morning, according to a City of Concord news release.
Talbert has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon. He is being held in the Cabarrus County Jail without bond.
Following Talbert’s extradition and arrival in Concord, Police Chief Jimmy Hughes acknowledged the significance of the moment for the victims’ families after 18 years.
“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,” Hughes said.
Hughes said the department’s priority remains the victims and their families as the criminal case moves through the courts.
“Our priority is the victims and their families, and our focus is on ensuring the case continues through the judicial system fairly and without compromise,” Hughes said. “We will continue to respect the privacy of the families during this difficult time and will not be making additional comments and no further information will be released.”
Talbert’s charges stem from a double homicide that stunned Concord nearly two decades ago and became known locally as the “Sun Drop Murders.”
Talbert was arrested May 21 by the Port Angeles Police Department in Port Angeles, Washington, after Concord detectives identified him as a suspect in the June 13, 2008 killings of Barnhardt and Noles.
At approximately 10 a.m. that day, Concord officers responded to a reported shooting at the Sun Drop Bottling Company near the intersection of Branchview Drive and Cabarrus Avenue.
When officers arrived, they found 59-year-old Barnhardt, the company’s longtime office manager, and 44-year-old Noles suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Noles had reportedly gone to the business to apply for a job, with his wife waiting for him in the parking lot.
Investigators said witnesses reported seeing a Black male with a slender build, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, leaving the area on foot toward Cabarrus Avenue shortly after the shooting.
Detectives believed the suspect killed Barnhardt and Noles before stealing money from the company’s front office and fleeing. Court records previously cited by the Peninsula Daily News indicated that approximately $9,905 was stolen during the robbery.
Despite years of investigation and hundreds of tips, the case remained unsolved for nearly 18 years. It received national attention, including a feature on “America’s Most Wanted” in 2009, and authorities eventually offered an $85,000 reward for information.
The investigation gained new momentum in late 2025 after Concord detectives reexamined evidence and pursued previously undeveloped leads, according to police.
Concord detectives contacted the Port Angeles Police Department about Talbert on Dec. 19, 2025. Detectives later traveled to Washington in May as part of the investigation, and Talbert was arrested without incident on May 21.
Amazing work by those Concord detectives!