The courtroom in Wake County, North Carolina, was filled with a heavy silence on September 16, 2025, as two brothers from Mexico stood before a judge and pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the tragic shooting death of Deputy Ned Byrd. The case, which has gripped the local community and reignited debates over crime, justice, and immigration, reached a legal turning point nearly three years after Byrd’s life was cut short during a late-night patrol.
Deputy Ned Byrd, a 48-year-old K-9 officer with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, was killed on August 11, 2022. According to WRAL, Byrd was en route to a law enforcement training center with his dog, Sasha, when he noticed a suspicious pickup truck parked beside a fence along a dark, rural road in southeastern Wake County. Surveillance footage from Byrd’s in-car dashcam captured the harrowing moments: Byrd exited his vehicle, and within seconds, six gunshots rang out. The truck then sped away, leaving Byrd fatally wounded on the roadside.
An autopsy later revealed that Byrd had been shot four times, three of those bullets striking him in the back of the head. He was found dead around 1:06 a.m. the next morning, lying outside his patrol car. The brutality of the crime shocked a community already wary of violence against law enforcement.
In the days following the shooting, authorities launched an intensive manhunt. As reported by the Associated Press, the suspects—brothers Alder Marin-Sotelo, 28, and Arturo Marin-Sotelo, 32—were eventually located in separate vehicles in western North Carolina. Both men were originally charged with murder and faced the prospect of a lengthy trial, which had been scheduled for September 2026.
But the legal process took a dramatic turn in early 2023. Alder Marin-Sotelo, who had been held in a Virginia jail on a federal firearms charge, managed to escape custody in April. The FBI later tracked him down in Mexico, where he was apprehended and held until February 2025. His extradition to the United States was only secured after prosecutors agreed to remove the death penalty from consideration—a concession required by Mexican authorities. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told the court, “If there was ever a capital case, this is the type of case that certainly would have been.”
On the day of their pleas, Alder Marin-Sotelo admitted to first-degree murder, receiving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His brother, Arturo, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and was sentenced to roughly eight to ten years in prison, with credit for time served meaning he will serve an additional five to seven years.
The courtroom was packed with Byrd’s family, friends, and fellow deputies, all seeking some measure of closure. Mignon Perkins, Byrd’s sister, addressed the defendants directly. Her words, reported by WRAL, were raw with pain: “You have stolen my happiness. You have stolen my joy. I am a godly woman, but I will never forgive you for taking my brother from me.” She continued, “Who are you to take a life? Who are you to take the kindest person you would have ever met?”
Arturo Marin-Sotelo, speaking through an interpreter, expressed remorse. “I want to apologize for not being able to do anything else,” he said. “The only thing I can do here is ask to apologize … and ask her for forgiveness. No human being has a right to take someone else’s life. This is my brother. It hurts me. But unfortunately this is how things happened here.” Alder Marin-Sotelo remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Evidence presented in court painted a chilling picture of the crime. District Attorney Freeman explained that Alder Marin-Sotelo’s cellphone placed him at the scene of the shooting. Cartridge casings found both at the site and in the truck were fired from the same weapon, and DNA from Byrd’s police-issued gun matched a sample taken from Alder Marin-Sotelo. The weapon, still in Byrd’s holster, had its belt twisted around the deputy’s body, suggesting an attempt to remove it after the shooting.
Arturo Marin-Sotelo told investigators that he and his brother had driven to a Wake County field to hunt for deer. According to the Associated Press, he recounted walking through the woods with a rifle while Alder parked the truck. Later, Alder called him and said an officer had been killed, prompting Arturo to pick him up on the other side of the field. Prosecutors said this account was supported by physical evidence and phone records.
Following the sentencing, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office retired the handcuffs used on Alder Marin-Sotelo and presented them to Perkins as a gesture of remembrance. Byrd’s K-9 partner, Sasha, was also present in court, now living with Byrd’s colleague, Sgt. Andrew Staton. Staton, reflecting on his late friend, remarked, “Now we can focus on the amazing person Byrd was. It’s just one of those things you don’t realize how big of a hole it leaves once he is gone. I wish we could have Byrd back. I would give anything. You never know when you’re going to lose somebody.”
Sheriff Willie Rowe, who attended the hearing, released a statement afterward, saying, “Today, justice has taken a step forward. After three years, the two individuals accused of shooting and killing Deputy Ned Byrd have pleaded guilty to their charges. While this outcome does not erase the pain of that night, this plea brings a measure of closure to Deputy Byrd’s family, his brothers and sisters in public safety, and the entire community he served.”
The case has also become part of a broader conversation about immigration and crime in North Carolina. As noted by WRAL’s documentary "Crossing Borders: Division and Immigration in North Carolina," the story of the Marin-Sotelo brothers has been cited in debates over the impact of cross-border crime, further fueling political and public scrutiny.
For many in Wake County, the guilty pleas bring a sense of justice, if not healing. Deputy Byrd’s legacy as a dedicated public servant—one who loved his K-9 partner and served his community with pride—remains at the forefront for those who knew him best. The pain of his loss endures, but the resolution of the case allows his family and colleagues to begin the long process of remembrance and recovery, carrying forward his memory and commitment to service.
