85-year-old Suspect Accused Of Shooting Dead His Business Partner After He Was Ordered To Pay $300,000 Hours Earlier

An 85-year-old has been accused of shooting his business partner dormant successful North Carolina aft being ordered to salary nan unfortunate much than $300,000 hours earlier, according to a report. ​

Willard Black, 85, allegedly changeable Robert Arguelles, 59, connected Wednesday day astatine nan Old Hickory Tannery, a furnishings institution based successful Newton, North Carolina.

Officers arrived astatine 3.18 p.m., wherever they recovered Arguelles pinch 4 gunshot wounds to his thorax and back, nan Newton Police Department told WSOC-TV. ​

Despite efforts to prevention his life, Arguelles died astatine nan scene. At nan clip of nan shooting, location were dozens of labor wrong nan building.​

Black was detained and has since been charged pinch second-degree murder, police say. His weapon, a .38-caliber revolver, was recovered astatine nan scene, prosecutors told WSOC-TV.

Black appeared successful court Thursday morning, wherever he was fixed a $2.5 cardinal bond. ​

“We are still successful shock,” Katherine Lebo, Arguelles’ friend, told nan outlet. “He was an astonishing person.” ​

“A kind-hearted man. A loving hubby and father. He was amazing,” she added.​

Court documents obtained by nan outlet authorities that Black had been ordered to salary nan unfortunate complete $300,000 conscionable 4 hours earlier Arguelles was shot.

According to nan records, a judge ruled for nan judicial dissolution of nan Old Hickory Tannery earlier this year, but allowed Arguelles nan correct to make an “acceptable offer” to Black.

Records seen by WBTV revealed that Black had owned 50.1 percent of Old Hickory Tannery’s shares, pinch Arguelles’s company, RRA Solutions, owning nan remaining 49.9 percent. ​

On March 30, 2026, a judge ordered Black to salary $310,882.74 for money lent to Old Hickory Tannery, including interest. ​A colony was reached connected May 11, pinch Black offering to waste his shares successful summation to repaying nan money.

On June 17, nan time of nan shooting, Black told Arguelles’ squad that his ain squad was “withdrawing their consent” to nan settlement but was informed by a judge that he was still taxable to nan settlement’s terms. ​

In a connection obtained by WSOC-TV, Alexander County Schools Superintendent Bill Griffin revealed that Arguelles was a school board member. ​

Griffin described Arguelles arsenic an “amazing father, hubby and committee personnel who has faithfully supported our schoolhouse strategy for almost 4 years.”

​“In grant of his memory, our territory afloat supports and respects nan family's privateness arsenic they navigate this profound loss,” Griffin added.

​In 2018, Black told Furniture Today that nan Old Hickory Tannery specialized successful nan “customization pinch cloth and leather” and that it besides made “custom-sized frames.”​

In nan aforesaid article, Black noted that Arguelles was his caller partner.​

“I met Willard and nan team, and if you inquire maine if I judge successful them, nan reply is unequivocally ‘Yes.’ They are champion successful class,” Arguelles told nan publication.