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The Edgecombe County Mayor and his wife were found dead in their home on Thursday after police conducted a welfare check on a missing person.

According to the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s office, deputies conducted a welfare check and discovered two people dead on a property. Investigators say the victims are an adult male and adult female who had been shot to death, confirmed to be Leggett Mayor Gary Skelton and his wife Jackie.

Keith Earl Williams, 25, has been arrested and charged with first degree murder. A second person is being held on unrelated charges.  “We were able to solve this double homicide in less than eight hours,” Sheriff Clee Atkinson said.

“It blew me away. It immediately made me nauseous,” said Leggett town commissioner Teresa Summerlin. “The nicest couple. Gary just got back this weekend from going and babysitting his grandchild, who has a broken bone.” Summerlin said she was concerned when Jackie Skelton didn’t show up for work Thursday morning. When calling Gary Skelton, she got no answer. She adds that the couple was last seen on Wednesday when they went to dinner with another couple.

Written by Clarke Jones

Source: WNCT