Charges dismissed against friend and housemate charged with stealing guns

By Linda Cicoira

Sixty-five-year-old Charles Edward Harris Jr., of Exmore, unexpectedly died of natural causes in March of 2024.

His children lived far away. The son, Adam, was in Wisconsin, and Harris’ daughter, Heather, lived outside of Seattle, Washington. When the two siblings arrived on the Eastern Shore about a month later, they found that their father’s expansive gun collection and his truck, among other unspecified items, were missing.

Harris’ friend and former co-worker and employer, 74-year-old William Franklin Parks, of Lincoln Avenue, in Exmore, and Harris’ housemate, 40-year-old Joshua Lee Farmer, of Pine Meadows Way in Exmore, were each later charged with buying or receiving a stolen firearm, conspiracy to steal a firearm, and grand larceny of a gun. Indictments alleged the crimes occurred before the Harris siblings could arrive to settle their father’s estate.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. A joint bench trial held on Monday ended with Judge Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. of the Northampton Circuit Court dismissing all charges.

Parks’ lawyer, James Broccoletti of Norfolk, said his client thought he was doing the right thing by storing the property because people were aware of the death and the guns might have been stolen when Farmer was not at home. Once Parks learned that Heather Harris was to be the executor of the estate, he turned the property over to the sheriff’s office.

Tucker Watson, of Eastville, who represented Farmer, said his client was “almost a family member” and was at the home when Harris took sick and died. He notified Harris’ son of the death. “None of the guns were sold or used,” Watson said. “They were safeguarded.”

At first, both men denied knowing anything about the guns or the truck when the Harris children inquired about the property.

Adam Harris listed 20 rifles, shotguns, and pistols that his father had owned. He said he grew up shooting with his dad, and often cleaned the guns afterward, which was why he was so familiar with them.