Smoking Gun: 34-Year-Old Marijuana Joint Links Suspect to 1989 Hit-and-Run Death, Police Say

Authorities in North Carolina said DNA from a 34-year-old marijuana joint have helped them to identify the suspect in a 1989 hit-and-run death.

On Dec. 29, 1989, Ruth Buchanan, 52, was crossing the street in a crosswalk in Charlotte when she was struck by a driver who ran a red light, according to The News & Observer. The driver did not stop to render aid.

According to ABC News, Buchanan was transported to a nearby hospital, where she ultimately died from her injuries.

Authorities said Buchanan was out shopping for an upcoming New Year’s Eve trip when she was struck by the vehicle. She had only been shopping for 15 minutes when the driver ran the red light at 45 mph and never stopped.

A description of the vehicle, along with a license plate number, was given to police. Authorities determined the car had been stolen from a dealership in Charlotte.

Several days later, police received a report about a suspicious vehicle at the Comfort Inn on South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Responding officers located a vehicle matching the witness’s description of the fatal hit-and-run incident.

While detectives collected evidence from the vehicle, nothing at the time led police to a suspect, so the case remained open for an additional 32 years.

In 2022, detectives received an anonymous tip regarding Buchanan’s case. The caller gave officials information on who they believed was the driver, but after investigating, authorities determined the person was not involved.

After the anonymous tip came in, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Crime Lab decided to do an extensive reexamination of various pieces of evidence from the case, one of which was the joint left in the car.

The DNA from that joint helped lead investigators to identify 68-year-old Herbert Stanback, who was incarcerated at a North Carolina facility, serving a 22-year sentence for an unrelated charge, officials said.

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In March 2024, police interviewed Stanback, who allegedly confessed to being the driver of the vehicle, according to police. At the time of the incident, Stanback was involved in a work-release program at the jail.

In June 2024, Stanback was officially charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in death.

“Very rewarding feeling, just to be able to notify the family of something like that,” CMPD Sgt. Gavin Jackson said. “I was able to speak to Ruth’s son and bring that kind of closure to the family. It’s certainly not a phone call that they would have been expecting.”