Extradition hearing delayed in NC Sun Drop murders cold case
A judge in the Pacific Northwest on Friday rescheduled an extradition hearing for the suspect in the killings of two people at the old Sun Drop Bottling Co. plant in Concord in 2008.
Prosecutors in Clallam County, Washington, told a judge they’re still waiting on a signed extradition warrant from North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein’s office, which they said they expect within days.
Prosecutors need the warrant to have the Washington State governor’s office sign off on returning 43-year-old Johnny Steven Talbert to North Carolina.
Talbert is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery in connection with the killings of 59-year-old Donna Barnhardt and 44-year-old Darrell Noles.
Barnhardt was the longtime office manager at the more than century-old, family-run plant. Noles was applying for a job.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart rescheduled the hearing in Port Angeles to June 24.
Concord police obtained an arrest warrant on May 21 for Talbert, who has lived in Port Angeles for years, police said. He was arrested that day by local police and taken into custody without incident.
At least 14 arrests
Talbert was arrested on the West Coast at least 14 times since the slayings, The Charlotte Observer reported, citing Port Angeles police. His arrests occurred since November 2011 and included two felonies, police said in press release.
Talbert remained silent during Friday’s hearing. He looked over at a prosecutor as she addressed the judge. Talbert spread his arms horizontally on a table, according to a video of the hearing on Zoom.
Suspect well known around town, resident says
Talbert has been a longtime presence on the streets of Port Angeles, resident Tim Anderson told The Charlotte Observer in a phone interview Thursday. Known as “J.T.,” Talbert was homeless and was always seen walking around town, he said.
“Everybody knows him,” Anderson said. “He’d ask you for a cigarette, or he’d yell at you.”
Anderson said he filmed Talbert’s arrest, which he said happened without incident.
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Extradition hearing delayed in NC Sun Drop murders cold case."