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Detectives announce 5th person sought in murder of 'Lizard Lick Towing' star's son

Johnston County detectives are looking for another person wanted in connection with the shooting death of a North Carolina reality TV star's son.

Posted Updated

By
Maggie Brown
, WRAL multiplatform producer
JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — Johnston County detectives are looking for another person wanted in connection with the shooting death of a North Carolina reality TV star's son.

Four people have been arrested in the case. On Thursday, detectives announced they were seeking a fifth person - 19-year-old Ferrell Jackson. Jackson was last known to live on Clinton Drive in Garner.

Ferrell Jackson
21-year-old Harley Alexander Shirley, from Clayton, was shot and killed during a memorial balloon release on Feb. 17 in honor of Xavier Smith, who was killed in a crash last month in southern Wake County near Fuquay-Varina.
Two women and two teenagers have been taken into custody related to the shooting of Shirley and a 20-year-old woman. Sophie Hagy has returned from the hospital but was left paralyzed from her injuries. Her family is seeking help in raising thousands of dollars so that Hagy will be able to receive the best treatment.

Jackson is wanted for obstructing justice in the investigation. Anyone with information on Jackson's whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office at 919-989-5010.

Authorities said that a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were charged with murder and attempted murder. The 16-year-old and the 17-year-old were arrested last month. Both teens are from the area, according to officials. The suspects' names have not been publicly released due to the fact that they are minors.

Cassidy Lorene Hunter, 21, was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact. She was being held at the Johnston County Jail under a $1 million bond.

Diana Sarah Jackson, 38, from Garner, was charged with obstructing justice related to the shooting investigation. She was being held at the Johnston County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond.

Shots were fired in the front yard of Smith's home on Josephine Road on Feb. 17. The shooting suspects fled the scene, officials said. A couple minutes later, two gunshot victims were found in the parking lot of a Sheetz down the street on Cornwallis Road.

Harley Shirley is the son of Ronnie Shirley, one of the owners of "Lizard Lick Towing" near Wendell. The family starred in a reality TV show based on their business from 2011 to 2014 on truTV.

Ronnie Shirley posted a message on Facebook about his son's death, saying "He’s at peace now" and that his family will "always cherish the times we had while you were with us, son."

According to the Ronnie Shirley's official Instagram account, the family is holding a memorial service on Saturday for Harley Shirley at the McLaurin Funeral Home in Clayton.

"Revelation 3:8 tells us the door was open for him, and we will see him again, when we walk through that same open door," Ronnie Shirley wrote.

"Anyone who knew Alex, knows how important helping people overcome addiction was to him," the GoFundMe post, written by Lexy Shirley, read. "To honor Alex Shirley's life, we are accepting donations for a scholarship foundation created in his name."

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