COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. β A Virginia family is grieving the loss of their 20-year-old son, who was shot and killed on I-85 in late August while returning from visiting his grandmother.
Hunter Bates was driving north on I-85 in Mecklenburg County on August 28 around 3:30 p.m. when he was shot in the back of the neck. His car rolled down an embankment, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bates' girlfriend, Kaydence Benoit, was in the passenger seat during the shooting.
"We got on the interstate. Not even seconds [later], Jason got beside us," Benoit said. "I didn't even hear anything. Literally the last thing I remember is waking up like this, looking around."
Benoit said the shooting changed her life forever.
"I miss my best friend. I miss my partner that I was with everyday. He took my future from me," Benoit said.
State police identified Jason Glidewell as the suspect wanted for Bates' murder. According to Bates' parents, the two men knew each other and didn't get along.
"It's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. I don't know any words right now, I don't know what to say," Bates' father said.
He described his son as his "right hand man" who had been turning his life around.
"He was becoming a young man, 20 years old, he was coming into his own. He was back in church, he was working hard everyday, like, he never took a day off," his father said.
On the day of the shooting, Bates had taken a rare day off to visit his grandmother in Mecklenburg County to repay a debt in person.
"She let him borrow like $800 to finish paying on a car he just bought. He was just that kind of boy, he was just a good heart. He could've Cashapp'ed it to his Nanny, but he didn't want to. He wanted to go pay her in person, and hug her and tell her how much he really appreciated it," his father said.
The visit that was meant to show gratitude turned tragic. Just 45 minutes after saying goodbye to his grandmother, Bates and Benoit were heading home when the shooting occurred.
Bates' family is working to keep his memory alive while seeking justice.
"I just want everyone to remember the big teddy bear that he was," said Bates' mother.
"Yeah, he was a big guy all his life, but he could move just like a hundred pound man could move around. He could do any job, no matter what, Hunter could do it," his father said.
Glidewell turned himself in after being on the run for several days in early September. His court case, originally scheduled for October, has been continued to November 13.
Bates' family questions why no other arrests have been made, saying there were three other people in Glidewell's truck when the shooting occurred.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
