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Murder — Suspect Charged, Awaiting Trial

The Murder of Jeffrey McKay

● Suspect Charged — Awaiting Trial State Employee Killed Roadside Shooting Person County, North Carolina
Victim
Jeffrey Leonard McKay
Age at Death
39 years old
Date of Murder
August 14, 2023
Location
Dink Ashley Road, Timberlake, North Carolina
Cause of Death
Gunshot Wounds
Charged
Chad Edward Woods Sr.
Charges
Second-Degree Murder; Larceny of Motor Vehicle
Case Status
Awaiting Trial — Person County
The Victim

Jeffrey Leonard McKay

Jeffrey Leonard McKay
Full Name Jeffrey Leonard McKay
Age at Death 39 years old
Date of Death August 14, 2023
Hometown Youngsville, North Carolina
Employer NC Department of Adult Correction
Role Electrical Supervisor, Central Engineering
Cause of Death Gunshot Wounds
Survived By Wife; young daughter; parents; sister

Jeffrey Leonard McKay was 39 years old and lived in Youngsville, North Carolina, a small town in Franklin County approximately 40 miles southeast of Timberlake. He worked as an electrical supervisor in the Central Engineering Division of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, a role that required him to commute across the region. On August 14, 2023, he was driving a state-owned truck on that commute when his life was taken in an act of violence that left his department, his community, and his family in grief.

Jeffrey is survived by his wife, their young daughter, his parents, and his sister. A funeral mass was held on August 26, 2023, at the Prague Catholic Church in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction honored him on its Employee Memorial, noting that he died as a result of a shooting that occurred after a traffic collision while he was on the job.

On the morning of the incident, McKay struck and killed seventeen-year-old Chad Woods Jr., who was walking along Dink Ashley Road with his parents after their vehicle had run out of gas. McKay immediately stopped and called 911 to report the crash and request emergency medical assistance. While he was on that call, he was shot multiple times by the teenager's father, Chad Woods Sr. McKay was transported to hospital, where he died from his injuries.

A witness at the scene, Patti Elliott, told local outlet WRAL that McKay had done everything he was supposed to do. He stopped. He called for help. He never had the chance to say anything more. He was a husband, a father, and a state employee doing his job, and he was killed for it.

01
Background

What We Know

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on August 14, 2023, Chad Edward Woods Sr., 41, his wife, and their seventeen-year-old son Chad Woods Jr. were walking along Dink Ashley Road on the outskirts of Timberlake in Person County, North Carolina. Their vehicle had run out of fuel and the family was making their way back toward their home on Cedar Creek Road, less than a mile away. Prior to the crash, multiple members of the public had called 911 to report a family walking in the roadway.

Jeffrey McKay, 39, was driving a state-owned North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Dodge pickup truck along Dink Ashley Road when his vehicle struck Chad Woods Jr. McKay immediately stopped and called 911, telling dispatchers he had struck a teenager and requesting emergency medical assistance. While McKay was on the phone with dispatchers, Chad Woods Sr. drew a handgun and shot McKay multiple times. A witness near the scene, Melody Moore, reported hearing two gunshots in quick succession. The 911 call recorded what sounded like two gunshots before the line went quiet.

Following the shooting, Woods Sr. and his wife fled the scene in McKay's stolen state truck, driving it back to their home on Cedar Creek Road. They left both McKay and the body of their son on the roadside. Passersby called 911 upon discovering the scene. Emergency services transported McKay to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his gunshot wounds. Chad Woods Jr. had been pronounced dead at the scene.

Person County Sheriff's Office deputies responded and, after identifying Chad Woods Jr., traced the family to their Cedar Creek Road residence. McKay's stolen state truck was found at the property. Woods Sr. was taken into custody at his home without incident. During his initial interview with investigators, he confirmed his account of events and stated that after shooting McKay he had thrown the firearm into a nearby pond. K-9 units and a dive team searched the pond and surrounding area but were unable to recover the weapon. The search was suspended due to extreme heat and was set to resume the following day.

Chad Woods Jr. is survived by his parents, three brothers, and his grandfather. A community vigil drew more than one hundred people. His brother described him as someone who wanted to be an IT technician, who wanted to be positive, and who wanted to help people. His funeral was held on August 19, 2023, at Greater Cleggs Chapel Community Missionary Baptist Church in Timberlake.

Case Timeline

How It Unfolded

August 14, 2023 — Before 6:30 a.m.
Family Walking on Dink Ashley Road; Multiple 911 Calls Received
Chad Woods Sr., his wife, and their seventeen-year-old son Chad Woods Jr. are walking along Dink Ashley Road toward their home after their vehicle ran out of fuel. Multiple members of the public call 911 before the crash to report a family walking in the roadway. Their home is less than a mile from where the incident occurs.
August 14, 2023 — Approximately 6:30 a.m.
McKay's Vehicle Strikes Chad Woods Jr.
Jeffrey McKay, driving a state-owned North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Dodge pickup truck, strikes Chad Woods Jr. on Dink Ashley Road. McKay immediately stops his vehicle. Chad Woods Jr. is pronounced dead at the scene. McKay calls 911 to report the crash and request emergency medical assistance.
August 14, 2023 — While McKay Is on 911 Call
McKay Shot Multiple Times
While McKay is still on the phone with 911 dispatchers, Chad Woods Sr. draws a handgun and shoots McKay multiple times. The 911 recording captures what sound like two gunshots before the line goes quiet. Nearby resident Melody Moore reports hearing two shots fired in quick succession. McKay is transported to a local hospital.
August 14, 2023 — Immediately After Shooting
Woods Sr. and Wife Flee in Stolen State Truck
Woods Sr. throws the handgun into a nearby pond and flees the scene with his wife in McKay's stolen state truck. Both McKay and the body of Chad Woods Jr. are left on the roadside. Passersby discover the scene and call 911. Sheriff's deputies and emergency services respond.
August 14, 2023 — Morning
Jeffrey McKay Pronounced Dead; Woods Sr. Arrested
Jeffrey McKay dies at hospital from his gunshot wounds. Person County Sheriff's Office deputies identify Chad Woods Jr. and trace the family to their Cedar Creek Road home. McKay's stolen state truck is found at the property. Woods Sr. is arrested without incident. No charges are filed against his wife. Woods Sr. tells investigators he threw the firearm into a nearby pond. K-9 units and a dive team search the pond and surrounding area; the weapon is not recovered. The search is suspended due to extreme heat.
August 19, 2023
Funeral for Chad Woods Jr.
A funeral service for Chad Woods Jr. is held at Greater Cleggs Chapel Community Missionary Baptist Church in Timberlake. He is survived by his parents, three brothers, and his grandfather. A community vigil held days earlier drew more than one hundred people. His brother remembered him as a good person who wanted to be an IT technician and who wanted to help people.
August 21, 2023
Woods Sr. Arraigned in Person County Court
Chad Edward Woods Sr. is arraigned in Person County on charges of second-degree murder and larceny of a motor vehicle. He is held in the Person County Detention Center. Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole under North Carolina sentencing guidelines.
August 26, 2023
Funeral Mass for Jeffrey McKay
A funeral mass for Jeffrey McKay is held at Prague Catholic Church in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He is survived by his wife, their young daughter, his parents, and his sister. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction subsequently added McKay to its Employee Memorial, honoring him as a state employee who died as a result of a shooting incident while on the job.
April 2026 — Current Status
Case Pending — No Trial Date Publicly Confirmed
As of April 2026, Chad Woods Sr. remains charged with second-degree murder and larceny of a motor vehicle in Person County. No trial date has been publicly confirmed and no plea has been entered on the record. The case remains active in the Person County court system.
03
Law Enforcement

The Investigation

The investigation into the death of Jeffrey McKay was led by the Person County Sheriff's Office, with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol also responding to the scene given that the incident originated with a traffic collision. The case presented investigators with an unusually complete evidentiary picture from the outset: a 911 call made by the victim himself, a second 911 call recording that captured what appeared to be gunshots while McKay was on the line, and multiple independent witnesses who had called 911 prior to the crash to report the family walking in the roadway.

Person County Sheriff Jason Wilborn confirmed in public statements that McKay had stopped his vehicle and called for help immediately after the collision and that the shooting occurred while McKay was actively cooperating with dispatchers. The 911 recording from the Person County 911 Emergency Center captured the sequence of events, including what witnesses and dispatchers described as two gunshots followed by silence. Nearby resident Melody Moore, who was close enough to hear the shots, confirmed to investigators that she heard two gunshots fired in quick succession before everything went quiet.

Deputies located McKay's stolen state truck at the Woods family's Cedar Creek Road property, where they arrested Chad Woods Sr. without resistance. During his initial interview with investigators, Woods Sr. confirmed the general sequence of events and disclosed that he had thrown the handgun used in the shooting into a nearby pond. K-9 units and a dive team were deployed to search the pond and surrounding grassy areas. The search continued for several hours over two days but was suspended due to extreme heat conditions before the weapon was recovered. Sergeant Kevin Morris confirmed Woods Sr. had a prior criminal record, though specific details were not publicly released.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was responsible for investigating the traffic collision that preceded the shooting. No charges related to the collision itself were publicly announced against McKay's estate, as investigators noted McKay was unable to avoid the pedestrians and immediately reported the incident to authorities. The Person County Sheriff's Office classified the case as a homicide investigation from the point of McKay's death and transferred primary jurisdiction accordingly.

04
Charged — Awaiting Trial

Arrest & Charges

Chad Edward Woods Sr.
Chad Edward Woods Sr.
Age 41 at time of arrest — Timberlake, North Carolina
Charges: Second-Degree Murder; Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
Arrested: August 14, 2023 — at family residence on Cedar Creek Road, Timberlake
Arraigned: August 21, 2023 — Person County Court
Held: Person County Detention Center
Maximum Exposure: Life in prison without the possibility of parole (second-degree murder, North Carolina)
Prior Record: Confirmed by Person County Sheriff's Office; details not publicly released
Co-present: Wife was at the scene and fled with Woods Sr. in the stolen vehicle; no charges were filed against her
Weapon: Handgun — thrown into a nearby pond by Woods Sr. following the shooting; not recovered as of last public report
Current Case Status
As of April 2026, Chad Woods Sr. remains charged with second-degree murder and larceny of a motor vehicle in Person County Superior Court. No trial date has been publicly confirmed and no plea has been publicly entered on the record. The firearm used in the shooting was not recovered during searches conducted in August 2023. The case remains active and pending in the North Carolina court system.
In Memoriam

They Are Not Forgotten

Jeffrey McKay was 39 years old and driving to work. He did what any person of conscience would do when something terrible happened in front of him — he stopped, and he called for help. He never drove away. He never pretended it didn't happen. He stayed, and he picked up the phone, and he tried to do right by a boy he didn't know. He was shot while he was still on that call.

He left behind a wife and a young daughter who will grow up knowing her father died trying to do the right thing. He left behind parents and a sister and colleagues at the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction who placed his name on a memorial wall — because that is what you do for people who deserve to be remembered. Jeffrey McKay deserves to be remembered.

Chad Woods Jr. was seventeen years old and walking home in the dark. He had brothers who loved him and a community that filled a room to say goodbye. He wanted to be an IT technician. He wanted to help people. He was a person, and his life mattered, and his death was a tragedy before any other tragedy happened on that road that morning.

Two families lost someone on Dink Ashley Road on August 14, 2023. Neither of them has had justice yet. Jeffrey McKay's family is still waiting for a trial. They are not forgotten.

Jeffrey Leonard McKay — 1984–2023
Sources
NBC News — Father Charged with Shooting and Killing Driver Who Allegedly Hit and Killed 17-Year-Old Son, August 14, 2023  |  Law and Crime — Dad Shoots, Kills State Worker Who Struck and Killed the Man's Son, August 15, 2023  |  CBS17 — Deputies: Father Charged with Killing State Employee That Hit and Killed His Son, August 15, 2023  |  CBS17 — Bond Set for Father Accused of Killing Driver That Fatally Struck His Son, August 17, 2023  |  WRAL — Community Mourns Teen Hit and Killed in Person County, August 18, 2023  |  Newsweek — Father Kills Driver Who Ran Over His Son in Fatal Crash, August 15, 2023  |  Odd Murders and Mysteries — The Murder of Jeffery McKay  |  NC Department of Adult Correction — Employee Memorial  |  WITN — Deputies: Father Charged with Killing State Employee, August 15, 2023
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