(UPDATE) Whiteville Firefighters Replace Stolen Roadside Memorial Cross

May 28, 2026 BC News Staff Brunswick County, Columbus County, Crime & Public Safety, News 0

Whiteville City Fire Dept replace cross — Whiteville City Fire Department work Friday afternoon to install a replacement memorial cross at Highway 130 and Ludlum Road. Photo Credit: David Ballengee

UPDATE: May 28, 2026

By BC News Staff Writer

ASH, NC — Law enforcement has officially intervened after a roadside memorial honoring a fallen Whiteville firefighter was removed from a Brunswick County intersection earlier this month.

Danny James Smith, of Ash, was served a criminal summons by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office on May 22, 2026, charging him with one count of misdemeanor larceny. According to the summons, Smith “willfully did steal, take and carry away [a] wooden cross and placard,” identified as the personal property of Angelea Stanley. The state values the missing items at $200.

The memorial, located at the intersection of Ludlum Road and NC 130, was erected by Whiteville firefighters in 2020 to honor one of their own, Michael Stanley, who was struck and killed there in a tragic motorcycle crash. In a poignant twist, Smith was the driver who subsequently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle in connection with that identical 2020 collision.

Following intense community outcry over the memorial’s sudden disappearance, Stanley’s widow, Angelea Stanley, pursued the criminal charges. Smith is scheduled to appear in Brunswick County District Court on June 29, 2026.

Update to an ongoing report. Original coverage can be found below

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While the community continues to search for the original memorial stolen earlier this week, a new cross has been placed at the Highway 130 intersection.

By BC News Staff Writer

ASH, NC (DEVELOPING STORY) — The community is refusing to let a fallen first responder’s memory be erased. On Friday afternoon, the Whiteville City Fire Department from Columbus County, returned to the intersection of Highway 130 and Ludlum Road to install a new memorial cross, replacing the original tribute that was stolen earlier this week.

The original roadside cross, which had stood undisturbed for over five years on private property, was erected in 2020 following a fatal motorcycle crash that claimed the life of veteran firefighter Michael Stanley. Stanley, a resident of Whiteville, was a beloved 15-year veteran of the Whiteville Fire Department and also served with New Hanover County Fire Rescue. He left behind a wife and two children.

While the installation of the new cross ensures Stanley’s tribute continues to stand tall, the original memorial remains missing.

The unauthorized removal has sparked deep anger across the community, with local residents heavily criticizing the perpetrator, calling the theft the act of a “soul-less coward.” Local community members note that suspicion remains focused on a specific individual who was allegedly seen loading the original cross into the back of a Gator utility vehicle before driving away from the intersection.

Law enforcement has been contacted regarding the theft of the original monument from the private property site.

Community volunteers and first responders note that this is just the first step in restoring the landmark. Plans are already underway to replace the remaining elements of the memorial site, including the commemorative plaque, brick border, gravel base, flowers, and solar lighting over the coming weeks.