RED SPRINGS, N.C. (WNCN) — A juvenile suspect wanted in connection with a double homicide in Hoke County took their own life after being located by law enforcement miles away in another county, deputies said Tuesday.
According to the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on Monday just after 6 p.m. to the 1000 block of Cope Road near Red Springs for a reported cardiac arrest. After finding two unresponsive individuals, they began to investigate the incident as a double homicide.
They found the bodies of the husband and wife — 52-year-old Ted Chavis and 48-year-old Joann Chavis — inside their house Monday night around 6:04 p.m.
It’s unclear how the couple was killed.
Hours later, police located the suspect, the couple’s foster son, about 50 miles away in the Columbus County town of Lake Waccamaw.
Lake Waccamaw Police Department located the suspect’s vehicle near the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina at Lake Waccamaw. The suspect was not inside the vehicle.
Law enforcement personnel on scene, along with the Whiteville Fire Department’s Drone Team, conducted a thorough search of the campus to ensure there was no immediate threat to those on site.
Officers began by clearing the occupied buildings before moving to the unoccupied areas of the campus. During this process, law enforcement located the suspect who, at that point, took their own life.
First responders rendered aid, and the suspect was transported to a local hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Columbus County deputies said no civilians or staff members from the Boys and Girls Homes were harmed.
The juvenile suspect’s suicide is under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, according to Columbus County deputies.
Due to being a juvenile, the suspect was not identified by law enforcement.
“Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragic situation.” Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers said in a statement. “We are grateful for the cooperation between agencies and thankful that no innocent lives were endangered. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of communication and support during difficult times.”
On Tuesday, CBS 17 spoke with Chavis’ neighbor and their church member, Riley Carter of the Praise and Worship Ministries in Red Springs, who said that the teen and his foster parents were a faithful church going family.
“They was good people. (The teen) was in my Sunday school class. He was real quiet, which I won’t say weird, but he didn’t talk a lot.”
“How long had this young man been in your Sunday school class? CBS 17’s Baron James asked
“It’s been a while. I say two years, a year and a half, two years.”
Carter added that the foster son was well-versed in the Holy Bible.
“He was quiet, real quiet. But he knew, like you would think you would do that because he knew everything about the Bible. Yeah, like anything they asked him about the Bible, you know.”
The Chavis couple was well known in their close-knit community for helping youth and now for being murdered allegedly by their teenage foster son.
Hoke County Sheriff Roderick Virgil said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that I address our community following the tragic loss of lives on last night in the southern part of the county. Words cannot fully express the sorrow we all feel during this difficult time. My deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and all those whose lives have been touched by this heartbreaking event.
“Our community is built on strength, compassion, and unity,” he continued in his statement. “In moments like these, it is important that we come together to support one another to lift up those who are grieving and to remind each other that no one stands alone in times of tragedy.”
Virgil also thanked the first responders who assisted in the investigation.
“As we mourn, let us also remember the importance of kindness, understanding, and connection,” Virgil said in his statement. “Healing will take time, but through unity and faith, we will find strength once again.”
Along with the Sheriff’s Offices in Hoke and Columbus Counties, the State Bureau of Investigations, Red Springs Police Department, and Lake Waccamaw Police. are assisting with the investigation.
So far, no word on what motivated the killings or whether the foster boy had a direct connection to the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective D. Austin at the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office at (910) 875-5111.
