Terrible news.
The mother of an up-and-coming country music singer was killed last weekend during a brutal home invasion in Virginia.
According to police, Holly Hatcher was killed on August 3 when 41-year old Kevin Moses Walker of Maryland broke into the home and fatally stabbed Hatcher before being shot by her husband, Michael Hatcher.
Holly Hatcher is the mother of up-and-coming country singer Spencer Hatcher, a bluegrass-inspired country artist who just dropped his latest single “When She Calls Me Cowboy” last month.
The bizarre incident started on August 1, when police determined that Walker rented a campsite at Endless Caverns in Virginia, taking a tour of the caves later that day. He then purchased a sleeping bag and a large knife at a nearby Walmart.
The next day, police say they responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle near the caverns, while also discovering that the store at Endless Caverns had been broken into, apparently having been rammed by a vehicle.
Nothing was stolen during the burglary, but authorities determined that Walker had entered both the store and the caves, and issued a felony warrant for his arrest. Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said that at that time there was no indication that Walker was violent and that he had no history of arrest:
“There was no indication of any violence or potential for any violence from the offender that the Virginia State Police became aware of throughout that investigation.”
But late on Sunday, police received a call from Michael Hatcher about the home invasion, and found Walker deceased in the driveway after having been shot by Michael, while Holly Hatcher was inside deceased from stab wounds.
After the murder, Spencer Hatcher took to social media to ask for privacy during this difficult time:
“It’s 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). 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.”
Authorities confirmed that no charges would be filed because the only suspect was deceased.
During a press conference, Sheriff Hutcheson spoke about the impact that Holly Hatcher, who was a beloved teacher in the area and had even taught the sheriff’s son, had on her community:
“I’ve been in law enforcement for 31 years and I have never seen anything like this in my entire career.”
And Michael Hatcher also expressed his appreciation for the support that is family has received during this unthinkable tragedy:
“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…
You have made it much more bearable through your outpouring of love and your caring and your kindness and support to all of us.”
Just such a senseless act of violence with so many unanswered questions.
All of our thoughts and prayers are with the Hatcher family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6PqW3-IpHU
