North Carolina

Killer Dads: Fathers who ended their children's lives in situations involving child custody, visitation, and/or child support

NORTH CAROLINA

Caldwell County

Father: ADAM BAKER
Victim(s): Zahra Baker (10 years)
Date of Death: Fall 2010
Step convicted in girl’s murder. Custodial father has not been charged, though girl was apparently repeatedly abused in the home. Father relocated from Australia, and was allowed to relocate back there despite ongoing "unrelated" criminal charges in the U.S. Has refused to tell mother where daughter’s ashes were placed.

Carteret County

Father: MICHAEL LEE WYNE II
Victim(s): unnamed daughter (11 years)
Date of Death: June 2010
Father reportedly “accidentally” shooting and killing daughter just one day after she arrived for summer visitation from Arkansas.

Dare County

Father: DOUGLAS MONT
Victim(s): Catrina J. Mont (9 years), Daniel Preston Mont (6 years), Theresa Lynn Mont (4 years)
Date of Death: February 1995
Father with visitation abducted children from home in Delaware, then shot them to death in murder-suicide in North Carolina.

Durham County

Father: RICARDO "ERIC" CRUTCHFIELD SR.
Victim(s): Briana (6 years), Ricardo Jr. - wounded (9 years)
Date of Death: February 1999
Father killed children during his visitation time.

Father: THOMAS HARRISON JR.
Victim(s):  Jonathan “MileMile” Miles Pittman (8 years)
Date of Death: March 2016
Father charged with killing son during weekend visitation.

Father: TYRONE XAVIER HESTER
Victim(s): Aaishia (22 months)
Date of Death: May 2011
Daughter killed in murder-suicide during father’s visitation. Mother had called police to do wellness check, father killed child half an hour after police left. Police had concluded child not “in danger.”

Edgecombe County

Father: BRICE MCMILLAN
Victim(s): Tyler Brice (13 years)
Date of Death: June 2008
Custodial father, stepmother convicted of 2nd-degree murder. Boy tied to tree; died of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Forsyth County

Father: DEREK MORRIS
Victim(s): Iza Lilly Morris (6 years)
Date of Death: November 2011
Father was allegedly “estranged” from daughter’s mother, and they were in the process of “discussing” child custody. Father shot daughter to death in murder-suicide.

Haywood County

Father: MICHAEL SWAYNGIM
Victim(s): Jake Russell (4 years)
Date of Death: August 2012
Boy had been visiting father and step for a week when he was beaten to death. In March 2015, father pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

Jackson County

Father: ERIC DAVIS
Victim(s): Erica Davis (4 years)
Date of Death: October 2013
Father somehow secured child custody in New Jersey and moved out of state. Mother reported that she hadn't seen the child since July 2011. Dad charged with 1st-degree murder in daughter's beating death after girl taken off life support.

Johnston County

Father: STEVEN HENRY
Victim(s): Ashley Henry (6 years), Gregory Henry (4 years)
Date of Death: March 2007
Dad in "bitter custody battle" with the mother shot and killed the children in a murder-suicide. The children were murdered in the father's car while he was parked in the mother's driveway, so it appears he had preexisting custody/visitation rights.

Lenoir County

Father: RICKY LEE CLARK JR.
Victim(s): Caden Williams (1 month)
Date of Death: February 2014
In September 2014, father charged with homicide in death of infant son during father's visitation.

Onslow County

Father: ANTHONY WAYNE YOUNG
Victim(s): Ruby-Rayne Delana Young (13 months)
Date of Death: May 2015
Despite criminal history including multiple drug offenses, father awarded legal custody. Charged with murder for allegedly slitting daughter's throat with kitchen knife.

Sampson County

Father: MATTHEW THEURER
Victim(s): Mathew (15 months old)
Date of Death: March 2013
Custodial father charged in infant son's death. Baby died of severe malnutrition and neglect.

Stokes County

Father: COLETON TARPLEY
Victim(s): Charlie (6 years), Coleton (9 years), mother Amanda Tarpley
Date of Death: February 2015
Father gained custody by tarring the mother as mentally ill and violent. Successfully gained order of protection against her. Apparently lured her to his home and killed her and the two boys in a murder-suicide.