Woman still waiting for justice in son's shooting death

HICKORY, N.C. — The mother of a man killed a year ago is asking why no one has been arrested despite there being surveillance video of the crime.

Nicolle Simpson said there is not a day that goes by that she does not think about her son, Nell.

Simpson lives on the street where someone opened fire on the car her son was driving. She rushed to the scene of the shooting and was there before he died.

“Nothing is being done about what happened to Nell. Nothing at all. Nothing I can see. No one has been held responsible,” she said.

Shortly after the murder, police learned of a surveillance video that shows the headlights of two vehicles passing. They believe the shots were fired from a white SUV that can be seen in the video.

Nell Simpson was hit twice in the head before the SUV drove away from the scene.

His stepbrother, who was in the car at the time of the shooting, ran to get help.

“It is never going to be the same. It’s it never going to be the same without him,” said Gabrielle Leonard, the victim’s stepsister.

Even more frustrating for the family is where the shooting happened -- less than a block away from the police department.

Police arrested Richard Gaither for the shooting, but the district attorney’s office dropped the charge because there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Police said while there is video at the time of the shooting, they can only identify the vehicles, not the people inside. Investigators said the case remains a priority for them and they are urging people to come forward with details.

“Whoever knows, or whoever has had anything to do with it, just contact the Hickory Police Department or somebody. Talk to somebody,” Nicolle Simpson said.

WSOC