Woman fatally stabbed in Johnston County hotel room; police say suspect arrested in VA

The WRAL Breaking News Tracker saw several police officers searching in and around the hotel Monday afternoon.
Posted 3/17/2025, 10:00:00 PM Updated 3/18/2025, 3:21:36 AM

FOR SCHOOL.

>> WE'RE ON STARTING AT

04:30AM.

>> A MAN CONNECTED TO A DEADLY

STABBING AT THIS JUST IN COUNTY

MOTEL WAS ARRESTED IN VIRGINIA

TONIGHT. SUFFIELD POLICE

IDENTIFIED 49 YEAR-OLD ERIC

NELSON AS THE MAN BEHIND THE

CRIME. THE BUREAU'S AARON

THOMAS IS OUTSIDE THE BAYMONT

INN AND SUITES IN SMITHFIELD

HERE. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY

QUICKLY IDENTIFIED NELSON AS A

PERSON OF INTEREST.

>> THAT'S CORRECT, CAROL.

SO WE KNOW THAT THIS SUSPECT

WAS ABLE TO USE A GET AWAY CAR

AND FLEE FROM THIS PARKING LOT

AT THE SMITHVILLE POLICE CHIEF

CREDITING A LICENSE PLATE

RECOGNITION SYSTEM AND HIS

IMMEDIATE CAPTURE.

>> EARLY AFTERNOON CHAOS

UNFOLDED OUTSIDE BAYMONT INN

AND SUITES IN SMITHFIELD.

I SAW 2 POLICE CARS RIGHT BY

THE FRONT ENTRANCE AND THERE

WAS 4 BEHIND WITH THEIR LIGHTS

ON. SO I KNEW SOMETHING WAS

GOING ON. I GUESS LIKE MICHAEL

SAINT PETER PUZZLE TO SEE IT.

ACTIVE CRIME SCENE STEPS AWAY

FROM HIS ROBE. I NEVER EXPECTED

IT TO BE I WAS DEFINITELY

CONCERNED. INVESTIGATORS,

STONE, A WOMAN STABBED INSIDE

HER ROOM. SHE LATER DIED FROM

HER INJURIES. SMITHVILLE POLICE

IDENTIFIED ERIC NELSON HAS A

SUSPECT'S 6 HOURS AFTER THE

CRIME OCCURRED. AUTHORITIES

CAPTURED HIM IN VIRGINIA.

I REACHED OUT TO SMITHVILLE

POLICE CHIEF PETE HEDRICK WITH

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS INCLUDING

WHAT WAS THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE

STABBING AND WHY DID THE

SUSPECT TRAVEL OUTSIDE NORTH

CAROLINA CHIEF PATRICK TELLS

WRAL THE MOTIVE REMAINS UNKNOWN

IN THE FLOCK CAMERA SYSTEM LED

INVESTIGATORS TO VIRGINIA.

WRAL HAS REPORTED EXTENSIVELY

ON THE AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE

READERS CRITICS OF FLOCK SAY

IT'S AN EROSION OF PERSONAL

PRIVACY, BUT INVESTIGATORS AND

HOTEL GUEST CREDIT THE PROGRAM,

BUT REDUCING CRIME IN QUICKLY

CAPTURING DANGEROUS CRIMINALS

ON THE RUN. THANK GOD THAT

BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY WERE ABLE

TO APPREHEND THE SUSPECT AS

QUICKLY AS THEY DID

AND WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING

TO IDENTIFY THE VICTIM WHO WAS

KILLED HERE AT THIS HOTEL.

>> INVESTIGATORS SAY ERIC

NELSON IS IN THE PROCESS OF

BEING EXTRADITED BACK IN NORTH

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