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A North Carolina man is accused of killing his elderly relatives in the driveway of their home.
According to PEOPLE, Michael, 72, and Carolyn Powell, 70, were found dead by their neighbor in the late hours of November 7.
The pair was shot in the head with a shotgun at "point blank range," the Northampton County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
Ryvaries Butcher, a relative and neighbor of the couple, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the killing.
Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith said the Powells had just returned home when they were fatally shot.
“It all happened out in their yard before they could even go in the home,” Smith said. “I don’t know where he came from — whether he was around their house or came from his house. It was only a matter of seconds before they were dead.”
Following the shooting, Butcher allegedly stole the couple's truck and fled the scene. Officers found the truck the next day in a hotel parking lot.
Butcher is also facing charges of felony larceny of a motor vehicle.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
“It is still under investigation,” Smith said.
“It is very sad,” he added of the incident. “They were just as nice as any Sunday school teacher you have ever met. These were very good Christian people, pillars in the community. It was a terrible way to leave this earth.”
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