October 26, 2026 | By: Sebastian Baez

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Vincent “Vinny” North was known for his intelligence and creativity. His individualistic thinking meant he was driven only by what he loved to do, which included art and mechanics.

“He was very independent. Ever since he was a year old,” said his mother, NormaJean LaFalce. “He didn’t want you picking out his clothes or tying his shoes. He had a lot of smarts about him.”

But he would never reach his full potential. His life was cut short in 2007 when, at age 17, Vincent was the victim of a hit-and-run in his birth town of Asheville, North Carolina. Despite investigations, the case remains unsolved.

Vincent was born on March 13, 1990, and was a “very smart kid,” as described by his mother. Growing up, he enjoyed the typical things a young boy likes, such as Hot Wheels, drawing and going outside. He also loved tinkering with things, taking them apart and putting them back together to understand how they worked. “Lawnmowers, weed eaters, anything electronic,” said NormaJean. “He was planning to open up his own lawnmower and weed eater shop.” Before his death, Vincent was working on his GED in order to build up a business.

Vincent was named after Vincent Keller, a character from CBS’s 1987 Beauty and the Beast series. “It was actually my favorite TV show,” said NormaJean.

She says that many of her memories with her son are precious, but Vincent making breakfast for her is one that stands out. “That wasn’t an everyday thing,” she says.

Vincent and his mother shared a love of art. Both enjoyed creating macramé or textiles using knotting techniques. NormaJean said they had hoped to open their own crafts store, creating and selling macramé together.

Alongside art and mechanics, Vincent loved the outdoors. He could often be found riding his bicycle around in nearby woods. He also loved holidays like Halloween and enjoyed trick or treating with his cousin. Vincent was always collecting, working on and playing with different types of remote-controlled vehicles, such as trucks and cars. His mother said these, alongside knife-collecting, were some of his favorite activities. Many of NormaJean’s keepsakes remain Vincent’s knives, which are kept in a curio cabinet. These knives stay with her alongside his drawings and clothing, even now.

Vincent was born to a loving mother who raised him as a single mother for 15 ½ years, but struggled with mental health issues from a young age. He was diagnosed with ADHD and bipolar disorder, which affected his education. “Because of his ADHD and bipolar, it made it difficult to be in school,” said NormaJean. She said Vincent frequented various group homes and mental institutions because of it. However, Vincent called his mother daily to schedule visits and discuss daily activities. Due to financial struggle, he also moved around a lot with his mother, which NormaJean says was necessary to keep a roof over their heads.

On October 26, 2007, Vincent was riding his bike down Old County Home Road in Asheville, which is near a busy highway, when a vehicle struck him from behind and killed him. NormaJean found out about her son’s death while she was sleeping. “I get a knock on the door, and I got state troopers standing outside my door, and they told me that he had been killed,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.”

Vincent was near the intersection of Eliada Home Road when he was killed. Accidents occur frequently near this area as Eliada is connected to New Leicester Highway. A neighborhood near the intersection of Old County and Eliada, called Mill Creek holds condos and houses. A quiet community, it often observes and hears many of the crashes happening on Old County.

NormaJean says that there’s barely been an investigation over the past two decades. Despite state troopers taking the case, progress has been nonexistent. There’s been much conflicting information, which includes the locations where Vincent was heading, the direction he was facing, and evidence left at the scene. According to NormaJean, the official report claims a witness was there at the scene, but state troopers, when asked about the witness, said there were none at the scene.

NormaJean wants to spread the story of Vincent’s life to others because she feels that it’s a way to ensure he’s remembered. “It was almost like he didn’t exist,” she said.

Grief remains her reason for holding herself together. She says that she’s taking one day at a time because she knows that Vincent wouldn’t want her to give up. To remember her son every year on his birthday, NormaJean buys a balloon and writes on it, later letting it float into the air. She also attends her local church for memorials for lost loved ones, saying that the church and her pastor help her through her struggle. On Mother’s Day this year, NormaJean will be wearing a “Mom”-inscribed diamond ring that was bought for her by Vincent 22 years ago, a gift she treasures deeply.

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Anyone with information concerning Vincent North’s unsolved homicide is asked to call the North Carolina Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit at (919) 757-0754. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call Buncombe County Crime Stoppers at (828) 255-5050

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