Identities released of victims, suspect in double homicide investigation that ended in Lake Waccamaw

RAEFORD, NC (WWAY) — The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office has released the identities of two victims and the suspect involved in a double homicide that occurred Monday evening in Raeford and ended with the teenage suspect’s suicide in Lake Waccamaw.

Deputies responded to a home at 1696 Cope Road around 6 p.m. on October 27 after a report of a cardiac arrest. When they arrived, deputies found two people unresponsive inside the residence. Detectives determined both victims had died from multiple stab wounds.

The victims have been identified as 46-year-old Joann Nicole Chavis and 53-year-old Ted Matthew Chavis, both of Red Springs.

According to investigators, the couple’s 17-year-old foster child, identified as D.P., was responsible for the killings.

Working in coordination with the State Bureau of Investigation, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake Waccamaw Police Department, law enforcement located the suspect at the Boys and Girls Home of NC in Lake Waccamaw. When approached by officers, D.P. reportedly took his own life with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The State Bureau of Investigation is leading the case in Columbus County related to Phillips’ death, while the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the homicides.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Chavis family, and everyone affected by this tragic incident,” Sheriff Roderick Virgil said. “We are grateful for the assistance provided by our partnering agencies throughout this investigation.”