Cullowhee man charged in Candler homicide of 18-year-old

Buncombe County law enforcement arrested a 21-year-old man from Cullowhee and charged him with first-degree murder in the death of an 18-year-old whose body was found in western Buncombe County. Deputies identified the victim as Joseph Solmon Rose, 18, and said he was killed on Nov. 24, 2025. His body was discovered Dec. 12 at 66 Gilbert B. Crook Road in Candler after deputies responded to a request to assist at the residence.

A preliminary autopsy determined Rose died from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators said evidence developed during the inquiry led them to Jackson County, where deputies recovered a vehicle on Dec. 19 that is believed to have been at the scene. Later that same day law enforcement arrested Johnathan David Paleno, 21, of Cullowhee. Paleno was transferred to the Buncombe County Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Court records list the matter in Buncombe District Court under case number 25CR490335-100. A public defender has been appointed for the defendant and a disposition hearing was scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026. Officials have withheld details about the relationship between the victim and the defendant while the investigation continues.

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said multiple agencies assisted in the probe, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Asheville Police Department. The sheriff’s office noted this is the eighth homicide investigation handled by the agency this year and urged anyone with information to contact the department.

For residents of Candler, West Buncombe and the broader Asheville area, the arrest resolves a series of unanswered questions while raising others about how a November killing was uncovered only in December and how evidence moved across county lines. The cooperation among local, state and federal agencies underscores the investigative complexity when incidents span jurisdictions and potentially involve vehicle movements and out-of-county leads.

The legal process now shifts to the district court calendar, where prosecutors will move forward with charging decisions and pretrial steps and the defense will begin its work with appointed counsel. Community safety concerns and calls for transparency are likely to persist as investigators continue to withhold some details to protect the integrity of the case.

Our two cents? If you have information that could help investigators, make that call to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. Speaking up helps speed justice and keeps neighborhoods safer while the court process unfolds.