Jim O'Neill, Forsyth County District Attorney

05/22/2026

Great turnout last night at our campaign event! I am grateful for everybody who showed up and wants to help keep Forsyth County safe. Thank you to Sheriff Kimbrough for his continued support and partnership.

05/19/2026

Coach O’Neill’s Demons are back in action tonight with a state playoff game against Cuthbertson. Beware the Blonde Brigade!

“When players think they have a chance to go far and make a run at a state championship, they dye their hair blonde,” says Harper Patterson, Reynolds senior.

05/13/2026

Coach O’Neill’s RJ Reynolds boys lacrosse team is brining back the blonde to get locked in for the state playoffs! Go Demons!

05/09/2026

On April 27th, the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office welcomed ADA Jack Dew to our team. A Winston-Salem native and graduate of the University of Richmond, ADA Dew returned home to attend Wake Forest University School of Law. We are excited to have him back with us after he spent time interning at the DAs Office throughout his law school years. DA O’Neill presented ADA Dew to Superior Court Judge Penn Broyhill for the administration of his oaths of office.

04/21/2026

04/20/2026

Due to the tragic events that occurred this morning at Leinbach Park, the press conference scheduled for this
afternoon regarding the State of North Carolina vs. Bryan Castillo has been canceled, and this press release has been issued in its place.

The investigative agency for the March 6, 2026, fatal collision between Mr. Bryan Castillo and Forsyth County Sheriff Deputy Kaleb Mitchell is the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (the “SHP”). Investigators for the SHP, in their effort to continue the investigation of this fatal accident, have brought forth new information that has impacted the prosecution of this case. Preliminary reports and roadway evidence originally indicated the collision occurred in Deputy Mitchell’s lane of travel and that Mr. Castillo was driving in excess of 100mph seconds before impact. Based on that information and other factors known to investigators from the SHP, probable cause was presented by the SHP to an independent magistrate, and Mr. Castillo was charged with Second Degree
Murder, Misdemeanor Death By Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Speeding, and Drive Left of Center.

The NC SHP has now come forward and presented evidence to this prosecutor’s office that in the seconds
preceding the collision, Deputy Mitchell was apparently in Mr. Castillo’s lane of travel. It appears that Mr.
Castillo turned his vehicle left of center to avoid a collision, and Deputy Mitchell turned his vehicle to the right at nearly the same time, into what would have been Deputy Mitchell’s proper lane of travel, causing the two vehicles to collide. There is no evidence available at this time to indicate what would have caused Deputy Mitchell to be in the wrong lane of travel in the seconds before the crash.

Based on the foregoing and the revelation of this new evidence by the SHP, there is no probable cause to believe that Mr. Castillo should be prosecuted for Second Degree Murder, Misdemeanor Death by Vehicle, or Drive Left of Center, and those charges are now dismissed. Probable cause does, however, exist to charge Mr. Castillo with Reckless Driving and Speeding.

A spokesperson from the SHP provided the following statement: “The evidence uncovered immediately after the collision continues to be true and factual: that the collision occurred entirely within Deputy Kaleb Mitchell’s lane of travel. As we have continued to work through this investigation process, we have discovered evidence that places Deputy Mitchell’s vehicle left of center, on the wrong side of the roadway at a relevant time prior to the collision. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol’s Collision Reconstruction Unit has been involved in this investigation throughout and continues to conduct a detailed and thorough investigation.”

The Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office, along with Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, is grateful to the SHP for continuing to pursue their investigation, even after they brought forth charges. Statutory discovery is a continuous and ongoing process in all criminal cases, and we thank the SHP for fulfilling that duty. The entire community will continue to mourn the loss of Deputy Kaleb Mitchell, and we will continue to pray for his family.

04/07/2026

Sergeant Wylie and Lieutenant Walley of WSPD came by the DA’s Office today to give a presentation on Gang Validation. We greatly appreciate our law enforcement partners sharing their knowledge with our ADAs to help us successfully prosecute gang and violent offenders.

03/31/2026

Anthony Carpenter, Jr. was sentenced to 445 to 571 months (approximately 37 to 47.5 years) in prison after a Forsyth County jury convicted him of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury, Felonious Breaking and Entering, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in connection with the December 31, 2024, shooting of Brandon Jackson.

Resorting to violence to settle disputes will never be acceptable in this community. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue justice for the victims of crime and seek maximum punishment for those who seriously injure others.

03/31/2026

Today I had the bittersweet privilege of congratulating my friend, Detective Bret Anderson, on his retirement from the Winston-Salem Police Department. Detective Anderson has served the people of Winston-Salem for over 23 years. He has been an asset to our office in the investigation and prosecution of countless cases, and will be truly missed. Congratulations!

03/26/2026

My office will continue to stand with our Law Enforcement partners to ensure that our schools remain a place where students can safely learn and grow. In the event that our
children have been mistreated or abused, you can expect my office to vigorously pursue justice on their behalf. It’s a promise that I made to this community more than twenty-five years ago, and I will continue to do so.