Thursday, October 8, 2026
®
The World's Local News Source®
Cherryville, NC (WNN) - Carolina Mysteries and More has been gaining traction in the Gaston County area for investigating a multitude of cold cases. In September of 2025, Blaze Hopper and Brandon Sisk founded the organization under a different name; it has since been rebranded. When they began, they also pursued paranormal cases, but for the time being, this has halted. Hopper, one of the organization's cofounders, came to WNN Studios to discuss its goals and history and to provide information on local cases.
Hopper says the organization's real goal is to shed light on these cases and bring closure to the families involved. One of the cases that inspired him to continue this work the Rhonda Henson case in Burke County. Despite it being cold by 40 years, Hopper's team was left a tip that the Burke County Sheriffs were stunned to receive. A more local case brought up during the interview was that of Chuck Porter, which Hopper wants to look into further. The organization is based on social media, and as such, much of the information comes from those willing to reach out and speak. In addition, their team includes four journalists who submit their findings on such cases to Hopper and Sisk.
Perhaps the largest cold case in the local area, Asha Degree, was also brought up. Hopper and his team have spent a large amount of time looking into this. One interesting piece of information was a tip that Degree was seen going into the woods the night she disappeared. Hopper questions why this would be the case, noting that it makes no sense for a girl that young to go into the woods at night and then never be found. This is different from the narrative that she was picked up off the road, and the case remains open despite the extensive searches conducted over the years.
Hopper also noted that while looking into the case, he received a tip to check out a certain person's social media pages; after receiving it, these accounts were closed, leaving him unable to research them. Carolina Mysteries is considering making a documentary about the case one day, due to the large number of tips and interest in the story they receive. However, this has also led to one of Hopper’s biggest obstacles. People can be dishonest. He noted that there had been more than one occasion when he felt he had a lead, only for the submitter to admit they had made up their story once the tip began to be taken seriously. Despite this he feels that due to modern advances in technology, it is a good time to begin reviewing these cold cases as new information may be able to be gathered.
One case they discussed has actually been solved, but still holds an interesting point. Phillip Lee Ingle was known by those around him as a kind man and a good spirit. This may have led to some level of surprise when he was convicted of the murder of four individuals. Hopper noted that this is often the case, and that it may be part of the reason for cold cases, as those who know many may be unwilling to turn in people whom they otherwise see as good-natured. They also may just be unwilling to become involved for fear of retribution or legal repercussions on themselves.
Another area where technology may aid in uncovering the truth is the paranormal. While their research in this area is currently on hiatus, the team is considering resuming it. Even with this, Hopper has had more than his fair share of encounters in the field. One way technology has enhanced detection comes from an odd source: Tesla. Hopper had been told that the vehicle's people detection systems would detect non-existent people in areas known to have high levels of spiritual activity. With one of the team members owning a Tesla, they decided to bring it to the graveyard at night to test this theory. He claims that, sure enough, despite the empty graveyard, the sensors set off, claiming there were people.
However, one such case has a much more tangible oddity. Little Cherry is a young woman buried in Cherryville Cemetery who is believed to have drowned in a creek. The girl is buried in an unmarked grave; however, some claim that she is not forgotten. Rumors have been spreading that the grave is often visited at night by a cloaked figure who runs when seen. Whether this is someone visiting in memory of the girl or another apparition entirely remains to be seen.
Two other paranormal cases that could be linked are the Brown Mountain Lights and Bigfoot. Hopper says they receive questions on both the lights and Knobby, a well-known local bigfoot sighting at Knob Creek in Cleveland County. The way these may be related is that many Bigfoot believers claim that they can assume an orb form, commonly associated with spirits. Some go so far as to say this is the cause of the Brown Mountain lights. However, the explanations for this phenomenon range from aliens to Bigfoot to a natural gas occurrence to the most mundane: the highway behind the overlook causes it. Despite many years of research, no one has ever been able to conclusively say what the Brown Mountain Lights truly are.
The group, as previously stated, primarily spreads and gathers information through social media. You can follow them on Facebook or TikTok to stay up to date with their research. Otherwise they also hope to begin a podcast soon that they are looking for help producing. If you want to help or have a tip to submit, you can email carolinamysteriesandmore@gmail.com to reach out, or you may contact them via social media.
If you have any strange or interesting stories to tell, let us know at newsdesk@wisenewsnetwork.com.
For further WNN articles and news stories, visit https://wisenewsnetwork.com
For more WNN video news stories, visit YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wisenewsnetwork
Contact WNN at newsdesk@wisenewsnetwork.com
North Carolina Press Association Member
©️Copyright 2026 Wise News Network. All rights reserved.
