Ewing-Meeks, Brown Family Visited Deputies Before Murder-Suicide: Sheriff

The parents, who were found dead with their children in an apparent murder-suicide Monday, conducted a series of cryptic communications with local MPs just hours before the tragedy.

“You guys, do you have people working here today?” Ashod Ewing-Meeks26 — the alleged killer — said in surveillance footage from the lobby of the Davie County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina, according to authorities in a WGHP Report.

That was on Monday around 12:11 p.m. girlfriend Ashton Brown26, stood by and held 8 months old Brixx Meeks-Ewing. Four year old daughter Bella Meeks-Ewing put something on a chair and stood about between her parents.

About two hours later, at around 2:17 p.m., firefighters said they found the family shot dead in their home after a passerby reported seeing smoke coming from the home. MPs said first responders found Ewing-Meeks dead, gun in hand.

Authorities say they believe he fatally shot Ashton, Brixx and Bella and then set the house on fire before killing himself.

“It’s definitely had an impact on the community and the neighborhood,” Davie County Sheriff said JD Hartman it said in a press conference on Wednesday WCBD. “It’s not an area where we have a lot of calls or problems. The neighbors said they were good neighbors.”

Hartmann reportedly said the family wasn’t sure why they wanted to speak to a deputy during Monday’s visit. Ewing-Meeks reportedly did so during the visit Ask for a concealed carry permit.

Brown called authorities minutes later at 12:35 p.m. Monday and asked to speak to a MP in what WFMY referred to as a non-emergency call.

A deputy called them back at 12:46 p.m. According to officials, Brown said she was calling for her boyfriend. She handed him the phone, but the call only lasted 30 seconds. It was unclear whether this was from a hang-up or a dropped call. The deputy called back. This second call lasted 55 seconds. The deputy made a third and fourth call, which lasted two minutes and more than six minutes, respectively. Meeks reportedly said he thought someone was following him. He was the only person who spoke to the deputy after the first call, Hartman said.

The deputy called at 1:06 p.m. and 1:07 p.m., but both went to voicemail. Authorities were unable to contact the couple after this, they said.

Around 2 p.m., a witness claimed to have seen Ewing-Meeks and Brown arguing outside the couple’s home, but they went inside, authorities said. Minutes later, another witness claimed to have seen smoke coming from the house.

First responders said they found the mother and her young son in the kitchen, and the daughter in a bedroom door. Ewing-Meeks was gun in hand at the end of the hallway that led to the kitchen, authorities said.

Locals got together to help Brown’s family with fundraisers, including t-shirt sales and a barbecue.

The Bird & Co. boutique in Mocksville, NC creates t-shirts to raise money for the family of 26-year-old Ashton Brown and her two children. Davie County Sheriff says Aschod Meeks-Ewing shot her before killing himself. The message on the shirt and more at 4, 5, 6. pic.twitter.com/eNytWJw9aH

— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) April 22, 2022

“As a community, we’re all putting ourselves in this situation,” he said Nicholas Lewiswho said she doesn’t know Brown but said she organized a fundraiser at the Cooleemee Fire Department on Saturday WGHP. “What if that were us? What if this was our family or one of our loved ones?”

[Screenshot via WGHP]

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