A couple from North Carolina was found in their home after reportedly being stabbed to death. According to police, the couple was killed by their teenage foster child. Authorities weren’t able to establish the teen’s motive for the killings because the teen was not in the home when they arrived. After police located the teen, the foster child took their own life. So now, there are two related incidents that need to be investigated, but police haven’t offered any additional information.
Deputies from the Hoke County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call just after 6 p.m. October 27, 2025, according to a news release. They were sent to the residence in reference to a cardiac arrest, but when they got there, deputies found two unresponsive people inside the home. Detectives were contacted, and the case quickly turned into a homicide investigation.
The couple stabbed was identified as 46-year-old Joann Nicole Chavis and her husband, 53-year-old Ted Matthew Chavis.
“Preliminary investigation and evidence obtained from the scene determined that both victims died, as a result of multiple stab wounds,” the statement reads. “The investigation identified the couple’s 17-year-old foster child, D.P., as the suspect responsible for the homicides.”
Deputies worked with the State Bureau of Investigation, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake Waccamaw Police Department and located D.P. in Lake Waccamaw. When the teen was approached by law enforcement, the youth “committed suicide from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” per the news release.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Chavis family, and everyone affected by this tragic incident,” Sheriff Roderick Virgil shared via the release. “We are grateful for the assistance provided by our partnering agencies throughout this investigation.”
On October 28, 2025, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office shared a news release about how D.P. was located. Officers from the Lake Waccamaw Police Department found the teen’s vehicle near the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina at Lake Waccamaw although no one was inside the vehicle.
Officers cleared all the buildings that were occupied before finding D.P. while searching the unoccupied areas of the campus. After the teen died by suicide, first responders offered aid and they were taken to the hospital where they later died.
No one from the Boys and Girls Homes was injured during the incident. At the request of Lake Waccamaw police, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will be handling the suicide.
“Due to the suspect being a juvenile, no further identifying information will be released,” the October 28 release noted.
The Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina released a statement about what happened, WWAY reported.
“On the evening of October 27, there was an incident on Boys & Girls Homes campus involving an off-campus individual. Standard lockdown procedures were followed, and all Boys & Girls Homes youth and staff members are safe,” the statement reads. “The incident is under active investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation. Thank you to local law enforcement including Columbus County Sheriff’s Department and Lake Waccamaw Fire & Rescue for keeping our staff and, most importantly, our youth safe. We are cooperating with this active investigation.”
The case is still under investigation. If anyone has information about the couple stabbed or the teen, they are encouraged to contact Detective D. Austin at (910) 875-5111.
