The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the December 03rd, 2015 arrest of 36-year-old Heather Nicole Ramsey, and 22-year-old Isaiah Zavier Nelson both of Murphy, North Carolina on charges stemming from a breaking and entering. 

On December 03rd, 2015 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received a call that persons were attempting to break into a residence on Randy Lane in Cherokee County. Murphy Police Officers and Cherokee County Deputies responded to the residence and found a vehicle abandoned at the residence. A search of the vacant residence and the surrounding area located Ramsey and Nelson hiding in the wooded area near the residence. It was determined that the vehicle that had been abandoned at the residence had actually been stolen from a residence on Reservoir Road also in Cherokee County. During the search of the vehicle and in property belonging to Ramsey, deputies found illegal controlled substances.

Both Ramsey and Nelson were arrested and brought to the Cherokee County Detention Center. During the booking process, illegally possessed controlled substances were found in the person of Ramsey who had secreted them into the jail. 

Heather Ramsey is charged with: ATT BREAK OR ENTER BLDG (M), FAILURE TO APPEAR ON MISDEMEANOR, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, POSS W/I MANUF/SELL/DEL SCHEDULE III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS METHAMPHETAMINE, SIMPLE POSSESSION SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE PRISON/JAIL PREMISSES. The North Carolina Magistrate set a $11,500.00 secure bond. Ramsey is scheduled to appear in Cherokee County District Court December 16th, 2015 at 9:30 am.

Isaiah Zavier Nelson is charged with: ATT BREAK OR ENTER BLDG (M), LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE. The North Carolina Magistrate set a $1,000.00 secure bond. Nelson is scheduled to appear in Cherokee County District Court December 16th, 2015 at 9:30 am.

Sheriff Palmer remarked, “This was some good work by alert officers. We are happy to continue to work with Murphy Police Department and appreciate the assistance they provided. Again we see the lengths people are going to with drugs in Cherokee County and we will continue to fight it as best we can.”

Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information on this crime or any other to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the December 01st, 2015 arrest of Timothy Russell Rung, a 40-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man on sexual assault charges. 

On November 29th, 2015 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a sexual assault of a child. The Sheriff’s Office followed their protocol for such incidents and conducted an investigation which involved the Cherokee County Department of Social Services and HAVEN Child Advocacy Center. During the investigation, Rung was identified as suspect in the reported assault.

Rung was arrested and appeared before the North Carolina Magistrate who set a $300,000.00 secure bond for one count of First Degree Sex Offense with a Child and 3 counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child. Rung is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center pending a December 12th, 2015 District Court date.

Based upon the age of the victim and the sensitive nature of the case, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing any additional information concerning this incident at this time.

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the December 03rd, 2015 arrest of 39-year-old Eric Winston Stiles and 34-year-old Jillian Ashley Sloan Stiles, both of Murphy, North Carolina, on charges involving the illegal possession of methamphetamine. 

On December 03rd, 2015, investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office were conducting an investigation into information pertaining to individuals who were illegally possessing methamphetamine in Cherokee County, North Carolina.  During that investigation, the investigators found the Stiles couple in their vehicle apparently in a unconscious state. During a search incident to arrest the couple, a significant quantity of methamphetamine and articles used for the ingestion of methamphetamine were found in the vehicle the Stiles couple had been occupying.

Both Eric and Jillian Stiles were arrested and brought before the North Carolina Magistrate who set a $10,000.00 secure bond each for Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Sell/Deliver, Possession of Paraphernalia and Maintaining a Vehicle.  Eric and Jillian Stiles are currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center pending a December 16th, 2015 District Court date.

Sheriff Palmer remarked, “We continue to work and go after those who are illegally making, selling, using or possessing controlled substances in Cherokee County. We are not always sure where the road leads us, but rest assured we will continue to travel down that road to rid our county of this menace.”

Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information on this crime or any other to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress​