NEED TO KNOW
- Holly Hatcher, 62, was fatally stabbed in a home invasion on Sunday, Aug. 3
- Kevin Moses Walker, 41, allegedly broke into the home she shared with her husband, who shot and killed Walker after a violent altercation
- Police are still searching for a motive in the slaying
The mother of a rising country music star was stabbed to death inside her Virginia home by an armed intruder, who was then shot and killed by her husband, according to police.
Holly Hatcher, 62, was killed during a violent home invasion in Harrisonburg on Sunday, Aug. 3, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Suspect Kevin Moses Walker, 41, was killed when Hatcher’s husband, Michael Hatcher, 65, fatally shot him in the driveway, according to the release.
The incident was “highly unusual” and “apparently completely random,” Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said in a video statement alongside Hatcher’s son, country music artist Spencer Hatcher, and Michael Hatcher, per WTVR.
In a post on Instagram, Spencer wrote that due to “a monumental loss in our family,” he was canceling 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. We ask that everyone please respect our family’s privacy at this time.”
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Deputies responded to a 911 call just before midnight on Aug. 3 at the Hatcher residence, where they found Michael outside with injuries about his body, according to the press release. Walker was found dead on the driveway.
When deputies entered the home, they found Holly dead of apparent stab wounds.
Authorities contend Walker entered the home armed with a “large” knife and fatally stabbed Holly before getting into an altercation with Michael.
The altercation continued outside the home, where Michael retrieved a gun from his vehicle and fired a single shot at Walker.
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Hutcheson then shared what the RCSO and Virginia State Police have since learned about Walker’s alleged movements before the attack.
Authorities say prior to the attack, Walker had purchased a knife and sleeping at Walmart and later allegedly broken into a store at he Endless Caverns campsite, where he was staying. The store showed signs of having been rammed with a vehicle, though nothing was stolen.
Police were still searching for Walker when Michael Hatcher called 911. The investigation will remain ongoing, Hutcheson said.
Hutcheson said he had known the Hatchers for years and that Holly Hatcher was his oldest son’s teacher, noting the “wonderful influence” she had on her students’ lives.
In the meantime, the Hatcher family is still reeling from the violent attack that stole the life of Holly Hatcher.
“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,” said an emotional Michael Hatcher in the joint video statement.
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