8 Topsail-Area Crimes and Cases People Still Talk About

The Topsail area is better known for beach trips, fishing, local restaurants, and quiet coastal neighborhoods. But the region also has a modern public-record history of crimes, cold cases, robberies, and tragedies that left a mark on Surf City, North Topsail Beach, Hampstead, Holly Ridge, and Sneads Ferry.

This is not meant to be a complete archive or a true-crime deep dive. Think of it as a starting point: eight cases with local anchors, reported details, and links for readers who want to learn more from the original coverage.

At A Glance

Beverly Ennis Moore

One of the area’s most serious unresolved cases is the 2009 killing of Beverly Ennis Moore in Hampstead. According to WECT’s Crimes of the Cape Fear report on the Beverly Ennis Moore case, Moore was 52 when her husband found her body on Sept. 27, 2009, in the bathroom of their Sloop Point Road home.

Investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Nearly 15 years later, WECT reported that the case remained unsolved, with Pender County investigators continuing to seek information.

The case stands out not only because of its brutality, but because of where it happened: a quiet Hampstead community where violent crime was not part of daily life. For anyone researching modern cold cases in the Topsail area, this is one of the most significant.

Caroline Cromer

Caroline Cromer’s death remains another unresolved case with strong local ties. Cromer was killed on New Year’s Eve 2009 after being struck on Highway 17 near Holly Ridge. One year later, WCTI reported that Caroline Cromer’s case had gone cold, with family and friends still searching for answers.

The case has also been remembered through a public family-led effort seeking justice for Caroline Cromer. That petition says Cromer was walking alone on Highway 17 near Holly Ridge when she was struck.

This case is slightly outside the island itself, but it belongs in a broader Topsail-area roundup because Holly Ridge sits along the same Highway 17 corridor that connects much of the local region. It is also a reminder that some of the area’s most painful stories are not always widely known beyond the families and communities directly affected.

Margaret “Nikki” Bracey

In August 2022, Surf City was shaken by the killing of Margaret “Nikki” Bracey at Exotic Hemp Company on Highway 50. Port City Daily reported that Charles Michael Haywood was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery with a dangerous weapon in connection with Bracey’s death.

Additional reporting from WECT described court documents connected to the fatal stabbing of the Surf City store clerk, while WWAY reported on the Pender County district attorney’s push for the death penalty.

The case stands out because of how rare and jarring it felt in a beach town setting. Surf City sees plenty of seasonal traffic, business activity, and visitor turnover, but a violent robbery and killing inside a local store hit differently.

Sneads Ferry Bank Robbery

Not every notable case in the area involves homicide. In 2013, authorities said a man robbed the First Citizens Bank in Sneads Ferry, then was later arrested in Surf City. According to WECT’s report on the suspected bank robber arrested at a Surf City motel, David Sharlow allegedly handed a note to a cashier demanding money and threatening to kill her if she did not comply.

Authorities said the suspect fled in a dark-colored SUV before being arrested at a Surf City motel. WECT reported that some of the money was recovered.

This case adds a different kind of local crime story to the list: a classic bank robbery with a Sneads Ferry starting point and a Surf City ending point. It is also a good example of how the Topsail area’s law enforcement footprint often crosses town and county boundaries.

Sneads Ferry Speedway Robbery

In February 2022, a robbery at a Sneads Ferry Speedway turned into a much larger regional incident. WCTI reported that two men tied up a clerk, stole money, and left in the clerk’s car after robbing the Speedway at the intersection of NC 172 and NC 210.

The clerk was not hurt, but the case escalated quickly. WITN later reported that the suspects were escaped Tennessee inmates and that both men died after a high-speed chase involving multiple law enforcement agencies across several counties.

The story reads like something from a regional crime documentary: an early-morning robbery, a tied-up clerk, a stolen vehicle, escaped inmates, and a pursuit that moved far beyond Sneads Ferry. For the Topsail area, it remains one of the stranger and more dramatic modern crime stories tied to the local corridor.

North Topsail Double Homicide

On New Year’s Day 2018, North Topsail Beach police responded to a double homicide at a home on 3rd Avenue. WWAY identified the victims as Connie Britton, 56, of Surf City, and Dowell Gray, 71.

According to the same report, McKinsey Britton called police around 1:15 a.m. to report that he had shot two people in the home. WITN reported that Britton was charged with two counts of murder.

Later that year, Spectrum News reported that McKinsey Britton pleaded guilty, including to first-degree murder in the death of Dowell Gray and second-degree murder in the death of Connie Britton.

The case remains one of the most serious modern violent-crime stories directly tied to North Topsail Beach.

North Topsail Double Stabbing

In 2013, two men were found dead on North Topsail Beach between Ocean Drive and the Village of Stump Sound. WCTI reported that Christopher Stewart and Robert Clinton Shellhammer IV were found dead on July 25, 2013, and that both men had suffered several stab wounds.

The case became more complicated as details emerged. WCTI later reported that warrants described Christopher Stewart as an informant for Holly Ridge Police, and that Robert Shellhammer IV had also become an informant.

In 2015, WECT reported that Bekka Shellhammer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for her role in the knife fight that killed both men. According to that report, the district attorney said the plan was to lure Stewart to the beach and stab him to death, but the suspects did not anticipate the level of resistance.

Between the beach setting, the informant angle, and the later guilty plea, this remains one of the area’s most unusual modern crime cases.

Sneads Ferry And Hampstead Robberies

In late 2021, investigators connected two robberies across the Topsail-area corridor. WWAY reported that Russell James May of Sneads Ferry was arrested after robberies at a Subway in Sneads Ferry and the K Spot Dispensary in Hampstead.

WECT also reported on the arrest, noting that Pender County, Onslow County, and Jacksonville law enforcement were involved. In 2022, WCTI reported that May had been found guilty of two robberies and sentenced to prison.

This entry is less infamous than the homicide cases, but it helps round out the list. It shows how crimes in the Topsail area often spill across community lines: Sneads Ferry, Hampstead, Onslow County, Pender County, and the broader Highway 17 / NC 210 corridor.

Why These Cases Still Matter

These stories are not tourist-brochure material, and they should not be treated like local entertainment. Each one involved real victims, families, business owners, investigators, witnesses, and communities forced to live with the aftermath.

But they are also part of the modern record of the Topsail area. They show a different side of a region many people only associate with summer rentals, bridge traffic, beach accesses, and waterfront views.

For readers who want to go deeper, the links above are the best place to start. Local news reports, court updates, law enforcement releases, and family-led efforts provide the clearest trail for understanding what happened, what was resolved, and which questions remain open.