Raleigh man found dead after missing-person search in Hoke County
Wesley Purcell, a 35-year-old Raleigh man, was last seen in Hoke County on June 18 and found dead the next day after a multi-agency search.
A 35-year-old Raleigh man who was reported missing after traveling to Hoke County was found dead in woods near North Hilltop Road after deputies and state agents searched the area where he was last seen.
The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office said Wesley Purcell was last seen June 18, 2026, in the North Hilltop Road and North Duffie Road area. Investigators believed he had traveled there from Raleigh in a gray GMC Sierra SUV. Officials said he may have had a beard and been wearing glasses, and his clothing was not known.
Deputies said detectives canvassed the area after Purcell was reported missing and asked anyone with information to call 911, Detective Garvin at (910) 875-5111, or the anonymous tip line at (910) 878-1100. The search drew in the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Clinton Department of Public Safety, showing how quickly a missing-person case can widen when the last known location is in one county and the person is believed to have traveled in from another.
On June 19, 2026, officers found Purcell in a wooded area near the same location where he was last seen. He was pronounced dead on scene. The Hoke County Criminal Investigation Division is continuing the investigation, and the cause of death remains under investigation.
An obituary later identified him as Wesley McKenzie Purcell of Raleigh, born Oct. 9, 1991. It said he died June 16, 2026, graduated from Clinton High School and attended North Carolina State University. The obituary also said he was a lifelong member of Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church and a proud Eagle Scout.
The obituary described Purcell as a loyal and dependable son, brother, uncle and friend. It said he enjoyed the outdoors, sports, deep sea fishing, hunting, snow skiing, boating and family time.
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