2021 Fayetteville Homicide Arrest Made

Murder Suspect Arrested in New York for 2021 Fayetteville Homicide

An arrest has been made in connection with a 2021 murder in Fayetteville, North Carolina. On Monday, October 20, 2025, at 6:10 a.m., Derames Freeman, a 35-year-old Black male from Troy, New York, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service in Albany, New York.

Freeman is the suspect in the murder of Kenneth Miles Jr., which occurred in Fayetteville on October 7, 2021.

Freeman faces a charge of First Degree Murder. He is currently being held at the Albany County Correctional Facility without bond, awaiting extradition proceedings that will return him to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to face the charges.

The arrest marks a significant development in the long-running homicide investigation.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is still asking for the public's help with any additional information regarding this homicide investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Investigator Senior Sergeant R. Brinkley at (910) 677-5503.

To remain anonymous, tips can be submitted through Crimestoppers by calling (910) 483-TIPS (8477). Information can also be submitted electronically by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org and completing the anonymous online tip sheet, or by downloading the FREE “P3 Tips” app on Apple or Android devices.