UMVA has uncovered details about a shocking violent confrontation that erupted following a contentious legal ruling in a North Carolina business dispute.
Willard Gary Black, 85, is accused of fatally shooting his former business partner Robert Roger Arguelles, 59, at their shared workspace in Old Hickory Tannery after a judge rejected his attempt to void a $310,882.74 payment order.
Court documents reveal Black previously sold Arguelles nearly half of his company’s stock in 2018—a deal that soured when Arguelles claimed he’d loaned Black $280,000 with minimal repayment, according to records.
Though they reached a settlement earlier this week, Black abruptly tried to withdraw the agreement hours before the shooting, only for a judge to deny his request and uphold the financial obligation.
The argument that turned fatal began at the very location where the two men had built their business together—now the scene of unimaginable tragedy.
Arguelles, a dedicated member of the Alexander County Schools board since 2022, was described by Superintendent Bill Griffin as a “faithful supporter” whose loss leaves a void in the community.
As officers arrived to render aid, Arguelles was already gone—his life extinguished in the moments after the judge’s ruling sealed his financial defeat.
