Guilford County Man Charged in 2024 Drug Death of 20-Year-Old

Nearly two years after Prince Jeremiah Reid was found dead in Pleasant Garden, a 40-year-old man has been arrested and charged with providing the drugs that killed him.

James Edward Palmer III was charged with felony death by distribution following an investigation by the Guilford County Sheriff's Office into the May 11, 2024, death of Reid, who was 20 years old. Sheriff Danny H. Rogers reported that detectives responded that day to the 5800 block of Cheshire Drive in Pleasant Garden to begin the investigation. Palmer was arrested Thursday and is being held without bond at the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro, with his first court appearance scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m.

The charge against Palmer was brought with assistance from the Guilford County District Attorney's Office, according to the sheriff's office. Felony death by distribution is a North Carolina statute that allows prosecutors to charge someone who allegedly supplied illegal drugs that directly caused another person's death.

Reid was 20 years old at the time of his death on Cheshire Drive, a residential road in the Pleasant Garden community in southern Guilford County. The investigation stretched nearly two years before detectives had sufficient evidence to bring charges against Palmer.

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact Detective J. Allen at the Guilford County Sheriff's Office or Guilford County Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Note that two different phone numbers for Detective J. Allen have appeared in published reports; confirm the correct number directly with the Guilford County Sheriff's Office before calling.