ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. — Country music artist Spencer Hatcher, his father Michael Hatcher, and Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson addressed the violent murder of Spencer's mother, Holly Hatcher, a beloved teacher and the death of the man responsible for the crime.
In a joint video statement, Hutcheson and the Hatcher family shared a timeline of events leading up to the violent attack that claimed the life of 62-year-old Holly, and left her 65-year-old husband, Michael, injured.
The suspect, identified as Kevin Moses Walker, 41, of Pikesville, Maryland, was killed during the incident after Michael Hatcher retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and fired a single shot to stop the attack.
"This is a highly unusual, apparently completely random [attack] with an individual with no known history of violent behavior of any kind, or even criminal behavior of any kind," Sheriff Hutcheson said.
According to the investigation, Walker rented a campsite at Endless Caverns, in New Market, Virginia, on August 1 at 2:22 p.m. and took a tour of the caverns at 3 p.m.
Later that day, at 5:24 p.m., he purchased a sleeping bag and a large knife at the Timberville Walmart, about seven miles from the caverns.
The following morning, Virginia State Police responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle on Endless Caverns Road.
They discovered the store at Endless Caverns had been broken into, with damage consistent with being rammed by a vehicle.
Authorities determined Walker had entered both the store and the caverns, though nothing was stolen.
Despite efforts to locate Walker using patrol vehicles and a drone, he wasn't found.
Felony warrants were obtained for him at that time.
"There was no indication of any violence or potential for any violence from the offender that the Virginia State Police became aware of throughout that investigation," Hutcheson said.
The next call authorities received was at 11:58 p.m. on Sunday, August 3, when Michael Hatcher reported the home invasion.
Deputies found him outside his residence with visible injuries. Walker was found deceased in the driveway, and Holly Hatcher was discovered inside the home with fatal stab wounds.
"There's going to be questions that will never be answered, but all I can tell you is we've cried, we've hurt, and we've hugged, and we have found more love than we have ever known has existed between us, and between you," Michael Hatcher said in the staement.
Spencer Hatcher, the couple's son, emphasized that the family wanted to address only confirmed facts amid speculation about the incident.
Sheriff Hutcheson, who has known the Hatcher family for years, noted that Holly was a beloved teacher who had taught his own son.
"I've been in law enforcement for 31 years and I have never seen anything like this in my entire career," Hutcheson said.
The sheriff confirmed that no charges will be filed in the case since the offender is deceased, but the investigation remains active.
Michael Hatcher expressed gratitude for the community's support and praised the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office for their assistance during this difficult time.
"You have made it much more bearable through your outpouring of love and your caring and your kindness and support to all of us," he said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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