Church community mourns couple killed; relative charged with murder

72-year-old Michael Powell and 70-year-old Carolyn Powell were found dead outside their home. A relative is charged with their murders.
Posted 11/11/2024, 9:52:00 PM Updated 11/12/2024, 10:48:59 AM

PRINCIPAL HAS RESIGNED. SCOTTO

IS ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

>> THE NEW TODAY THE NORTH

HAMPTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

HAS RELEASED NEW INFORMATION

ABOUT THE DEATHS OF AN ELDERLY

COUPLE FELL ON THEIR FRONT

LAWN. INVESTIGATORS HAVE

ARRESTED A 35 YEAR-OLD REGARDS

BUTCHER. THEY SAY HE SHOT.

73 YEAR-OLD MICHAEL POWELL AND

HIS WIFE, 70 YEAR-OLD CAROLYN

PAL. AND HE SAYS THAT THESE HE

IS RELATED TO THEM. THE 2 WERE

FOUND IN THE FRONT LAWN OF

THEIR HOME IN GASTON, NORTH

CAROLINA SHOT AT POINT BLANK

RANGE. LAW ENFORCEMENT

ARRESTED. BUT YOU'RE IN ROANOKE

RAPIDS. THE BUREAU'S HEIDI KIRK

IS LIVE IN GASTON TONIGHT WHERE

PEOPLE SAY THEIR DEATHS HAVE

SHAKEN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

IT.

>> GERALD, THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THE PASTOR HERE AT COOL

SPRINGS MISSIONARY BAPTIST

CHURCH SAYS THAT THESE DEATHS

MAKES 3 PEOPLE MURDERED AS A

PART OF HIS CONGREGATION HERE

AT THIS CHURCH. AND NOW CAROLYN

AND MICHAEL'S NAMES ADDED TO

THAT LIST. HE SAYS THAT THEY

WERE REMEMBERED YESTERDAY AS A

PART OF THIS CONGREGATION.

>> THEY BROUGHT A PRESIDENT'S

REVEREND TRAVIS JUDGE. KEN SAYS

YOU'D ALWAYS KNOW WHEN THE

POWERS WERE THEY HAD THE

ABILITY THAT OFTENTIMES

ENTERING THE ROOM, ALTHOUGH NOT

SAYING MUCH, THEY COULD CHANGE

THE ATMOSPHERE OF THAT FOR THE

BETTER.

>> FOR 50 SOME YEARS, CAROL,

LYNN AND MICHAEL ATTENDED

CHURCH HERE. THAT WAS HER SEE

RIGHT THERE.

>> AND THANK YOU, BREE HAVE TO

STILL SEE THE DISCUS MARKS FROM

HER BACK IN PRINT. IT. I'M IN

THE UPHOLSTERY.

>> CAROLYN, SAD HERE ON THE

PEW. WELL, YOU'D FIND MICHAEL

WITH THE CHOIR EVERY WEDNESDAY

AND SUNDAY. THE AND LOVE WITH

THE METS AND GAVE.

>> TO THIS WORLD. AND THIS

GENERATION, THE CERTAINTY THAT

TRUE LOVE STILL EXISTS BETWEEN

2 PEOPLE. REVEREND JUDKINS

TELLS US HE GOT THE CALL THAT

THEY WERE FOUND DEAD ON

THURSDAY. BOTH SHOT IN THE HEAD

IN THEIR FRONT YARD ON MON CARE

STREET. AT THE SAME HOUSE, HE'D

BEEN TOO MANY TIMES.

>> ONE DAY LATER, THIS MAN,

35 YEAR-OLD REEVE RS BUTCHER

WAS ARRESTED FOR THEIR DEATHS

AND FOR STEALING THEIR CAR.

THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE TELLS US HE

WAS A MEMBER OF POWELL'S

FAMILY, BUT THE RELATION IS

STILL UNCLEAR. JUDGE GETTING

SAYS THIS SUNDAY, THE

CONGREGATION HONOR THE POWELL'S

FEELING THEIR PRESENCE, EVEN

WITHOUT THEM IN THE ROOM.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO LOOK AT

THAT?

>> IN DEEP, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY

WILL NEVER SIT THERE AGAIN TO

LOOK AT THIS PLACE IN WHICH SHE

SAID IT AND TRULY ONLY SHE

SAID.

AND THIS PAST SUNDAY, IT WAS

OCCUPIED BY SOME OF THOSE.

IT DID NOT SEEM RIGHT.

>> NEEDLESS TO SAY, FOR SO MANY

PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN

THIS COMMUNITY AND KNEW THE

POWELL'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PAIN

THERE. AND OF COURSE, THERE'S

STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT

REMAIN. IN FACT, WE DON'T HAVE

A MOTIVE AS TO WHAT DROVE

BUTCHER TO COMMIT THESE

MURDERS. WE ASKED THE NORTH

HAMPTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S

OFFICE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN

ANSWER FOR US. SO WE'RE STILL

LOOKING FOR THOSE ANSWERS.

AND BUTCHERS GOING TO BE DUE IN

COURT ON NOVEMBER 19, HEIDI