ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Authorities have arrested a suspect in the killing of an 18-year-old man whose body was found earlier this month in Candler, Buncombe County officials said Tuesday.
Johnathan David Paleno, 21, of Cullowhee, was charged Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, with first-degree murder in the death of Joseph Rose. Paleno was taken into custody by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and transferred to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
Rose’s body was discovered about 3:39 p.m. Dec. 12 near 69 Gilbert B. Crook Road. He had been reported missing to the Asheville Police Department on Dec. 2. Preliminary autopsy results determined Rose died from a single gunshot wound to the head, prompting investigators to classify the case as a homicide, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said at a news conference Tuesday. Authorities believe Rose died around Nov. 24.
The sheriff’s office said investigators believe Rose was killed at a different location in Buncombe County and that the suspect and victim knew each other. Officials declined to provide further details about the relationship or the weapon involved, citing the ongoing investigation.
“This was not a random act,” Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office District 2 Capt. Chris Stockton said at the news conference. “We do believe they knew each other for an extended period of time.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Asheville Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Investigators said evidence and the suspect were ultimately traced to Jackson County. A search warrant was executed on a vehicle believed to be connected to the crime, as well as a residence in Cullowhee, where Paleno was arrested.
Family members previously told authorities Rose was last seen around Nov. 24 and failed to attend Thanksgiving, which they said was out of character.
The death of Rose is Buncombe County’s eighth homicide of the year, and all have resulted in arrests, officials said.
“This cannot restore Joseph Rose’s life,” Stockton said. “But we hope it brings some measure of closure to his family and ensures accountability.”
The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional information will be released as it becomes available.