Man executed elderly aunt, uncle on their front lawn with headshots ‘from a shotgun at point blank range’: Sheriff

A 35-year-old man in North Carolina has been arrested for allegedly killing his aunt and uncle outside of their home, executing them both with close-range shots to the head from a shotgun. Ryvaries Butcher was taken into custody last week and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony larceny of a motor vehicle in the slayings of Michael “Mack” Powell and Carolyn Powell, authorities announced.

According to a news release from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, deputies at about 10:26 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2024, responded to reports of a shooting at a residence just outside of Gaston, North Carolina, about 25 miles west of Charlotte.

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders discovered a married couple — later identified as 72-year-old Michael Powell and 70-year-old Carolyn Powell — deceased in the front yard of their home. The two were lying on the driveway and appeared to have suffered “gunshot wounds to the head from a shotgun at point blank range,” the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators said they quickly determined that the suspected shooter — whom they identified as Butcher — had stolen a truck belonging to the victims immediately after the attack.

A few hours later, at about 2:20 a.m. on Nov. 8, authorities located the victims’ stolen truck parked in a hotel parking lot in Roanoke Rapids, which is about 250 miles northeast of Gaston.

“At approximately 4:25 am on November 8th, 2024 law enforcement officers with Northampton Co. Sheriff’s Office, Halifax Co. Sheriff’s Office, and Roanoke Rapids Police Dept. were able to safely apprehend and arrest 35-year-old Ryvaries Butcher of Gaston,” the release states. “He was initially charged with one count of felony larceny of a motor vehicle and in-addition charged with two counts of first-degree murder.”

While authorities have not speculated as to a possible motive for the double murder, the sheriff’s office did clarify that Butcher was “a close neighbor and a relative of the victims.”

“This is such a tragedy,” Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith said in a statement to The Daily Herald newspaper. “This family was a pillar in the community and very good people. It’s very senseless that they had to die this way.”

Travis Judkins, the senior pastor at Cool Spring Missionary Baptist Church, told Goldsboro, North Carolina CBS affiliate WNCN that the couple attended services every week and Michael Powell sang in the church choir. He also clarified that Butcher was the couple’s nephew, saying it was known that the 35-year-old had lived with numerous mental health issues.

“This young man has been plagued with mental health issues for years,” Judkins told the station. “I would have hoped long before, there could have been something done. If so, we wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation now.”

Butcher is being held in the Northampton County Jail without bond on the murder charges. A judge ordered a $35,000 secured bond on the larceny charge. He is currently scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 19.

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