Still no suspect in Asheville's 11th homicide of the year: beloved father, brother and son

ASHEVILLE - Hakimye Bethea, 20, of Arden was a dedicated father, older brother and son.

When his sister was being bullied at school, he wanted to address it. When his brother wanted shoes, he went shopping. And he was Danielle Bethea’s first son, the one who “went through the struggle” with her, she said.

“He respected his elders. He loved, loved, loved his little boy,” 2-year-old Suhmeir, Daneille Bethea said.

One day, unprompted, he offered to take the family out for lunch. 

“We were all laughing and joking at the table,” Danielle Bethea said. “It was just … family. That’s what I like to think about.”

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Bethea died at the Maple Crest apartments on Lee Garden Lane after being shot several times July 22, police say. No one has been charged in connection to the killing. But police say that there were more than a dozen witnesses at the complex.

“Somebody knows what happened," Asheville Police Department spokesperson Bill Davis told the Citizen Times July 25.

“Nothing new to report, unfortunately,” he said in an email Aug. 4. “(It is) an active investigation in which detectives are following up on leads.”

Danielle Bethea told the Citizen Times that her son was at the complex for a vigil, with friends. An argument broke out, and instead of a fight, someone pulled out a gun. 

“People expect that from their enemies, but not someone you call a friend,” she said.

Davis did not respond to a question about that account of the killing Aug. 4, Aug. 5 or Aug. 8.

Originally, Bethea was not going to be at Maple Crest that night, his mother said. He had plans to go to Charlotte, but could not get a hotel. He decided to stay in Asheville and leave in the morning.

If trends continue, 2022 will go down as an especially violent year for Asheville — at least when it comes to homicides. Police have already reported 11. Throughout all of 2021, there were 10 homicides in the city. Police reported 11 in 2020.

Nine of the 11 homicide victims have died by gunfire in 2022, according to police.

The killings over the last eight months have been "stupid and senseless," Danielle Bethea said.

For now, she is spending as much time with her grandson as she needs.

Detectives are asking anyone who has information about the shooting to send an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD to 847411 or using the TIP2APD smartphone application (search "Asheville PD" in the app store).  

Anyone can also call APD at 828-252-1110.

Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Send tips to coehrli@citizentimes.com.