Latest news with #RockinghamCounty
Fox News
19 hours ago
- Fox News
Suspect took ‘specific' actions before fatal attack on country singer's mom, former FBI agent says
A former FBI special agent says the fatal stabbing and home invasion of a country singer's mother may not have been "random." Virginia authorities said a man killed 62-year-old Holly Hatcher, a former teacher, around midnight on Aug. 3 at home in Rockingham County during a home invasion. Michael Hatcher, 65, shot and killed the intruder, who was identified by officials as 41-year-old Kevin Moses Walker. The couple's son, 31-year-old Spencer Hatcher, is an up-and-coming country singer who announced he is canceling several of his upcoming shows following his mother's death. Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said Walker had no known criminal history and is from Pikesville, Maryland, which is about a three-hour drive from the Hatcher's residence. The sheriff said that the home invasion was random and "highly unusual," adding that Walker had brought a "large knife" into the home. Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital he questions whether the home invasion and subsequent stabbing was random. "He drove specifically to where a place, a location was at, where there was a tourist location, where there were these caverns. He took a tour of the cavern. He reserved a camping spot. He went to Walmart and bought a sleeping bag and a knife," Gilliam said. "Those are very specific things … not random actions." "So when I look at that, I know that part of what happened is not random," Gilliam added. Gilliam said Walker's behavior before the crash appeared to be normal but then became "psychotic and random." "We know that he did all these actions with structured behavior up until the point of a crash. And then his behavior became psychotic and random," he said. "So, I think it's too early, and there's not enough evidence from what I can see that it's just to be determined to be a random attack." Gilliam also said detectives should determine if the two crossed paths at all in the days leading up to the attack. "They need to look at what the victims do and if they had any encounters with this guy earlier in the day, because also, if his typical way he operates, if he is a killer for instance, is to go somewhere, wander around in polite manner and then pick some victims and then eventually go get them. They could have met throughout that day," he said. Former Washington, D.C., homicide detective Ted Williams told Fox News Digital that while "this is one of the saddest cases that you could come across," detectives may never find a motive. "I don't think we're going to ever find out the motive in this case, in light of the fact that Kevin Moses Walker is dead," Williams said. "This certainly is a case that will have to be studied by law enforcement for some time to come, because this man, Kevin Moses Walker, was not on anybody's radar screen." Spencer Hatcher said in an Instagram post that his planned performances at the VOA Country Music Fest in Ohio and the Rockingham County Fair in Harrisonburg, Virginia, have been canceled. "I hope to make these dates up to my fans in the future," Spencer Hatcher wrote. "I appreciated everyone that has lent their support to me and my loved ones."
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Mountain town rocked after country singer's mom murdered in random home invasion
A sheriff in Virginia's historic Shenandoah Valley area said the fatal home invasion stabbing of a country music singer's mother is unlike "anything" he's ever seen. Authorities said an intruder killed 62-year-old Holly Hatcher, a former teacher, around midnight on Aug. 3 at their home in Rockingham County. Michael Hatcher, 65, shot and killed the intruder, who was identified by officials as 41-year-old Kevin Moses Walker. The couple's son, 31-year-old Spencer Hatcher, an up-and-coming country singer, announced he's canceling many of his upcoming shows after his mother was killed. Walker has no known criminal history, officials added, noting he was involved in a car crash two days prior to the home invasion. Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said in a video posted to Facebook that he's never seen anything like this. "Speaking personally, this is 31 years in law enforcement for me. I have never seen anything like this in my entire career, just the way the unusual, unique and just crazy situation that this turned out to be," Hutcheson said. The sheriff said that the home invasion was random and "highly unusual," adding that Walker brought a "large knife" into the home. According to investigators, Walker was renting a campsite at Endless Caverns two days prior to the attack and was seen on surveillance video at a local Walmart buying a knife and sleeping bag. Hutcheson said Walker was killed in the driveway when Michael Hatcher grabbed a loaded pistol from his car and fired one shot. In a video posted by the sheriff's office, Michael Hatcher thanked the community for supporting his family. "I've heard a lot of you say that there are no words to explain this, and there aren't — and there's going to be questions that will never be answered," Michael Hatcher said. "But all I can tell you is: We've cried. We've hurt. We've hugged. And we have found more love than we have ever known has existed between us and between you. Thank you." The Rockingham County Public Schools, where Holly Hatcher taught, said in a statement that she worked there for 19 years and will be remembered as a "beloved" colleague. Country music executive Benny Brown likened Spencer Hatcher to a "young George Strait." "Spencer and his brother Connor have already become like family to us, and we couldn't be happier to officially welcome Spencer to Stone Country Records. When Spencer first came onto my radar, his style and sky-high potential reminded me of a young George Strait, so I knew we had to sign him. He feels like the right artist arriving at just the right time in country music," Brown said. Spencer Hatcher said in an Instagram post that his planned performances at the VOA Country Music Fest in Ohio and the Rockingham County Fair in Harrisonburg, Virginia, are canceled. "I hope to make these dates up to my fans in the future," Spencer Hatcher wrote. "I appreciated everyone that has lent their support to me and my loved ones."
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Virginia sheriff says death of country music singer's mother is unlike 'anything' he's seen
Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said the death of Holly Hatcher is unlike "anything" he's seen. (Credit: Rockingham County Sheriff)
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Country star Spencer Hatchet's mother stabbed to death
Country music star Spencer Hatcher's mother Holly was stabbed to death by a stranger at her Virginia home. Holly, 62, was murdered when Kevin Moses Walker broke into her residence in Rockingham County, on August 3. Her husband Michael Hatcher, 65, was injured in the attack although he shot Walker dead with a handgun in an apparent act of self-defense. Walker, 41, of Maryland, apparently targeted the Hatchers in a 'completely random' attack, the sheriff revealed. Police are still investigating a motive for the attack. Walker had no known history of violent or criminal behavior. No charges will be filed in the case since Walker is dead, but police are continuing to investigate the incident. Spencer, 27, canceled several upcoming concerts in wake of the tragedy, telling his fans that his family is battling a 'monumental loss'. The country music star has more than 720,000 followers on TikTok. He signed with Stone Country Records in July 2024 and released his first EP last October. Investigators believe Walker killed Holly after he wreaked havoc on a RV (recreational vehicle) resort in the Shenandoah Valley. Walker checked in to a rented campsite at at Endless Caverns, an RV park tucked into the Shenandoah Valley mountainside, on August 1, WTVR reports. Police say he took a tour of the caverns around before heading to a local Walmart less then three hours later to purchase a sleeping bag and large knife. His vehicle was found abandoned on Endless Caverns Road the next morning after he allegedly rammed it into a store at the RV park. Police claim Walker entered both the store and the caverns, but did not steal anything. Patrol vehicles and a drone were deployed to the area, but the hunt for Walker proved unsuccessful. Officers were called to the Hatcher residence at 11.58pm on August 3 after Michael reported a home invasion. When police arrived on scene they found Walker dead in the driveway and Michael with visible injuries. Holly was discovered in the residence with multiple stab wounds. 'There's going to be questions that will never be answered, but all I can tell you is we've cried, we've hurt, and we've hugged, and we have found more love than we have ever known has existed between us, and between you,' Michael said during a press conference on Saturday. Spencer also issued a statement on his Instagram account. It read, in part: 'It is with a heavy heart and overwhelming sadness that – due to a monumental loss in our family - I must cancel my upcoming shows at VOA Country Music Fest in Butler County, OH (8/8) and at Rockingham County Fair in Harrisonburg, VA (8/11 &8/12).' He said he hoped to reschedule the shows in the future and thanked everyone who 'lent their support to me and my loved ones'. The performer did ask his fans to 'please respect our family's privacy at this time'. Holly served as a teacher in rural Virginia for the past 19 years. Her employer Rockingham County Public Schools issued a statement on Facebook, saying: 'We are heartbroken by the loss of a dedicated educator who served our RCPS community with unwavering commitment.' Holly 'poured her heart into her work, positively impacting countless students and colleagues,' the district continued, adding: 'Her loss is deeply felt by the entire RCPS family.' His mother's murder is the latest hardship that Spencer has had to battle as he makes a name for himself in the country music scene. In September last year, Spencer fractured his pelvis in three places, broke three ribs and suffered a pulmonary contusion to his right lung after falling 20 feet from his roof. He and Michael were working to repair a broken chimney when Spencer lost his footing, fell and struck a rock, his website states. The musician was airlifted to a hospital in Charlottesville and treated for his injuries, with doctors saying it was a miracle he did not sustain any head or spinal injuries. He was offered a deal with Stone Country Records just weeks later and returned to performing live after just three weeks - despite doctors estimating it would be several months before he recovered. 'I feel like I've experienced two miracles in just one month,' Spencer said last autumn. 'First, surviving a two-story fall, which I truly believe was the hand of God, and second, signing a record deal, which I realize is something that most artists never get to do.'
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Country singer Spencer Hatcher's mother killed in home invasion
The mother of a rising country music star has been stabbed to death inside her Virginia home. The armed intruder was then shot and killed by her husband, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office. Holly Hatcher was stabbed to death during the violent home invasion. Suspect Kevin Moses Walker was killed when Hatcher's husband, Michael, fatally shot him in the driveway of their home, according to a police press release. In a post on Instagram, Spencer wrote that due to "a monumental loss in our family", he was cancelling three upcoming shows. "I hope to make these dates up to my fans in the future. I appreciate everyone that has lent their support to me and my loved ones." Police responded to a 911 call just before midnight at the Hatcher residence, where they found Michael outside with injuries to his body. When they entered the home, they found Holly dead of apparent stab wounds. Spencer is a bluegrass-influenced singer signed to Stone Country Records. His fanbase includes more than 850,000 social media followers and he has surpassed 60 million views, including 8.5 million on TikTok alone. This led to a high-profile partnership with PepsiCo, with Spencer co-writing and performing a bluegrass jingle in a national commercial for Mountain Dew.
