A criminal investigation that began as a possible break-in ended with a murder conviction for the victim’s son.

According to the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office, 27-year-old Donald Ryan Fink pleaded guilty this week to second-degree murder in the homicide of his mother, Debra Susan Fink. Resident Senior Superior Court Judge David L. Hall handed down a sentence of up to nearly three decades in prison.

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The case dates back to June 2023, when Kernersville police responded to a call in the 500 block of Clubb Road. Upon arrival, officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her son was also at the location and initially told police that someone broke into the home and shot his mother. Detectives found evidence they believed pointed to a staged scene and witnesses said Donald Fink had been seen earlier the same day with a firearm recovered at the scene. Police said the weapon had been reported stolen months earlier and the suspect’s hands tested positive for gunshot residue.

Fink later admitted to manipulating the scene and holding the gun when it shot his mother, though he claimed it was an accident.

He was arrested on June 15, 2023, and charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The victim’s sisters were in court this week and expressed relief that the case had reached a conclusion as well as gratitude for the detectives and prosecutors who worked the case.

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