Two Charged with Murder in Roanoke Shootings

Two individuals, Juan Quontell Welton and Joanna Lee Felts, have been arrested in Roanoke and charged with second-degree murder following the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Rafael Perez Naranjo on December 4, 2024. In a separate incident, Jeremy Christopher Williams, 30, was charged with second-degree murder after his truck struck and killed 32-year-old Ashley Marie Gearhart in a restaurant parking lot in Salem. Williams, who had a prior relationship with the victim, remained at the scene and is currently held without bond. The police received the emergency call regarding Gearhart at 8:36 p.m. on December 28, and she was pronounced dead shortly after. Both cases are under investigation by local authorities, with Williams' incident being the second fatality in Salem this year. The arrests highlight a troubling trend of violent incidents within the region.