Lenoir County Sheriff's Office: Warrant issued for suspect in deadly Lenoir County fire, November 2021

Lenoir County Sheriff's Office Detectives have secured a warrant for the arrest of William Jemeriah Howell for Involuntary Manslaughter.

This warrant is the result of the investigation relating to the deadly fire that occurred on November 21, 2021 at 1879 Water Chestnut Drive in Kinston. As a result of that incident, a juvenile was killed as a result of the fire.

Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said, "numerous firefighters, paramedics, fire investigators, law enforcement officers, family and others have felt deep hurt for the loss of such a young person. These tragic cases are never easy, but the detectives and others involved in the investigation have pushed through, to find evidence of negligence and have obtained a warrant for this suspect."

Lenoir County Detectives worked with numerous agencies, conducted interviews and were able to develop probable cause to obtain charges for the suspect. Detectives determined that Howell was the only adult present in the residence; he was intoxicated; and he had turned on the stove to cook food in the kitchen. Detectives found that the stove had been left on and unattended by Howell during the investigation of the fire. As a result, it is believed that Howells' intoxication and negligence of leaving the stove on ultimately led to death of the juvenile.

A picture of Howell is in this post. If you know the location of William Jemeriah Howell, please contact the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office at 252-559-6118.