McDowell County Man Guilty of Attempted Murder Sentenced

McDowell County --  The McDowell County Sheriff's Office: On Tuesday, March 18, a McDowell County jury found 51-year-old Joseph Andrew

Hartwell Jr. Guilty of the following charges: 

• (3 counts) Attempted Murder
• (3 counts) Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury
• Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
• Felony Breaking and/or Entering

Hartwell was sentenced to three consecutive terms of a minimum of 165 months and a maximum of 210 months in prison. He was credited with 531 days of time served.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on the night of October 3, 2023. Deputies with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting at a residence on Jacktown Road. Upon arrival, deputies discovered three female victims suffering from gunshot wounds.

Agencies that assisted with the incident included the Marion Police Department, NC State Highway Patrol, US Marshals Service, Old Fort Police Department, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and McDowell County Emergency Services.
Hartwell has remained in custody since his arrest and was held under no bond throughout the trial process.
Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office extend their gratitude to all assisting local, state and federal partners.

“I also want to thank District Attorney Ted Bell and his office for their work on this prosecution,” said Sheriff Buchanan.  “A great job as well by our detectives and staff in their investigation and I am proud of their dedicated work and commitment to protecting lives.”