State releases autopsy in Pender County teacher’s death, case remains open

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released the autopsy report for a Pender County teacher found dead in December 2024, identifying the cause of death but stopping short of determining how it occurred.

Heather Lee Fennell, 46, was found dead on Dec. 4 at a home on Sawgrass Road in Hampstead. Fennell was a sixth-grade science teacher at Topsail Middle School and had worked in the Pender County school system for more than two decades.

Students and colleagues shared memories of her with WWAY last year following her death.

The report lists her cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head. However, it does not specify whether the death was a homicide, suicide, or accidental.

The State Bureau of Investigation says the case remains open. Several pieces of evidence have been sent to the state crime lab for testing, and authorities are awaiting results before making a final determination.

An SBI spokesperson said additional information is expected in the coming weeks.