GASTONIA, N.C. — Christopher Hill pled guilty in court to killing his stepfather, Braxton Farquhar, outside their Gastonia, North Carolina, home. Hill received a sentence of 25 to 32 years in prison.
Family members stated Hill was attempting to protect his 3-year-old brother from alleged abuse.
Hill’s family members attended the court hearing, asserting that Farquhar had subjected Hill to severe mistreatment, and they feared similar abuse for his younger brother.
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Prosecutors stated that Farquhar sustained 17 gunshot wounds. Hill admitted guilt, avoiding a potential life sentence.
Donna Hightower, Christopher Hill’s aunt, said she helped raise him. She stated that Hill’s life became difficult after he went to live with his mother and her new husband. Hightower described Braxton Farquhar as “not kind.”
Hightower recalled instances where she said, “Braxton beating him on several occasions, chasing him, shooting at him.” She said Hill lived under these conditions for years.
Prosecutors explained that in November 2023, Hill found his 3-year-old brother locked out of the home while their mother and stepfather were inside. Hill knocked on the door, holding the infant.
Donna Hightower recounted Hill’s words at the time, stating, “He had the baby in his hands telling them, you are not going to do this to him, my momma did this to me. You are not going to do this to my little brother; he deserves better.”
Prosecutors said Hill then fired a shot into the house, and when Farquhar stepped outside, Hill shot him.
Despite his guilty plea, Christopher Hill stated, “I’m not no murderer man.” Hightower shared that Hill expressed regret for his actions.
“He said, Aunt Donna, if I could go back, he said I would change it,” Hightower said, adding, “He said, ‘But I can’t. It’s done.’”
An attorney represented Braxton Farquhar’s family in court.
Christopher Hill faces a lengthy prison sentence for his actions. His aunt, Donna Hightower, reflected on the decades-long term. “I don’t think I’ll be alive when he comes home,” Hightower said.