A 20-year-old Cullowhee woman is behind bars today, facing felony charges in connection with the death of Joseph Rose, an 18-year-old whose disappearance last November sparked a massive search across Western North Carolina.
Avery Kate Deeds was arrested Tuesday, January 13, 2026, by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. She has been charged with concealment of death and disturbing human remains, both of which are felonies in North Carolina.
A Timeline of the Investigation
The case began in late November 2025, when Joseph Rose—known affectionately as "Ziggy" to friends and family—failed to show up for Thanksgiving dinner. His family reported him missing to the Asheville Police Department on December 2, launching a desperate 10-day search that ended in tragedy.
On December 12, 2025, Rose’s body was discovered in a ditch near Gilbert B. Crook Road in the Candler area of Buncombe County. A subsequent autopsy confirmed that the 18-year-old had died from multiple gunshot wounds, leading authorities to reclassify the case as a homicide.
The arrest of Deeds follows the earlier apprehension of Caleb Ryan Barker, 22, who was charged in December with First-Degree Murder. While investigators have not yet detailed the exact nature of the relationship between Deeds and Barker, the charges against Deeds suggest her involvement began after the shooting occurred.
Under North Carolina law, concealment of death involves the intentional failure to report a death with the purpose of hiding the manner or cause of the fatality. Deeds is currently being held at the Buncombe County Detention Center under a $150,000 secured bond.
Jackson County authorities stated that the investigation remains active as they work to piece together the events that led from a Cullowhee shooting to the discovery of remains in a Buncombe County ditch.
*Suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
WNCTimes