***UPDATE*** On February 15, 2023, James Powell took a plea deal and received four consecutive life sentences for four counts of first-degree murder. He also received a 26-year, 5-month sentence for second-degree murder stemming from a separate incident in January 2018. Three additional people were charged in 2018, but those charges were dropped after Powell recanted a statement implicating them. Two of them have since died – one due to a drug overdose and the other murdered and dumped in the Roanoke River.

In a statement from officials, “Currently, there is no new evidence in the possession of the district attorney’s office or the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office that identifies any other known, or unknown, accomplices to these crimes. Moving forward, should additional information present itself, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office will investigate it thoroughly in conjunction with the district attorney’s office. The district attorney’s office stands ready to prosecute all crimes that are charged and supported by evidence in this case.”

On August 21, 2017, James Harris, 88, and his wife Janice Harris, 72, were with their friends Peggy Whitley, 67, and James Whitley,86, in a residence on Fishing Creek Road in Whitakers, North Carolina. While playing cards, Janice, James, and their friends were shot and killed. Janice and James Harris' family continues to advocate for their loved one and seek answers in their case.

If you have any information on the unsolved homicide of Janice and James Harris, please contact Halifax County Sheriff's Office at (252) 583-8201. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, you can call Halifax County Crimestoppers at (252) 583-4444.

Please remember that these victims are submitted to us by their family. Our organization does not investigate cases. We advocate, educate, and help raise awareness. Speculation on the details of the case is not helpful on this platform. Comments that are deemed inappropriate and/or potentially hurtful will be removed.