Traditional country singer Spencer Hatcher’s mother, Holly, was killed during a home invasion that police are saying was “random.”
The Aug. 3 attack also left his father, Michael, wounded, and the alleged attacker dead on the driveway of the family’s home.
Police say that Kevin Moses Walker of Pikesville, Md. was responsible for the attack in Rockingham County, Va..
Two days prior he’d rented a campsite at nearby Endless Caverns. A few hours later, he bought a sleeping bag and large knife from a local Walmart (per WTVR-TV).
Early on Aug. 2, Virginia State Police discovered the store at Endless Caverns had been broken into and Walker’s vehicle was abandoned there, with signs that it may have been used to ram the building. Felony warrants were issued, but a search came up empty.
At 11:58PM on Sunday, Aug. 3, police received a call from the Hatchers about the attack. Michael Hatcher was outside his home when cops arrived. He had located a handgun and shot and killed Walker, who laid on the driveway.
Holly Hatcher was found inside with fatal stab wounds.
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No charges are expected against Michael Hatcher.
Talking to media, the local sheriff emphasized Holly’s commitment to the community. The 62-year-old was a local teacher for nearly two decades.
Who Is Spencer Hatcher?
Spencer Hatcher is a bluegrass-trained singer from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The 27-year-old has been playing mandolin since age eight and picked up banjo for his family’s bluegrass band at age 12.
In 2020 he broke out as a solo artist and started to play as many as 150 shows a year, all self-booked. The East Tennessee State University graduate became popular nationally when his cover of “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash went viral on TikTok that year.
In 2024, he signed a recording contract with Stone Country Records and has released songs like “Cold Beer and Common Sense,” “On the Inside” and most recently, “When She Calls Me Cowboy.”
The now Nashville-based singer and songwriter canceled a trio of shows after learning of his mother’s death. His next scheduled show is Aug. 22 at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
