In the early morning hours of August 1, 2016, the bodies of 17-year-old Carter Davis and Natalie Henderson were discovered by a delivery driver behind a Publix grocery store in Roswell, Georgia. Both teenagers had been killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. The parents of the teens believed they were at home in bed at the time of their deaths. Carter was about to begin his senior year at River Ridge High School in Woodstock.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led law enforcement to a suspect. Through the use of surveillance footage, cellphone data, and social media evidence, authorities identified 20-year-old Jeffrey Hazelwood of Roswell as the person responsible for the murders. Investigators determined that Hazelwood had followed the two teenagers behind the grocery store before shooting them. Evidence showed that Hazelwood used Henderson's debit card at a nearby gas station shortly after the killings.
Hazelwood was arrested and charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault, theft, and financial transaction card fraud. During his initial court appearance, he exhibited bizarre behavior, talking to himself and seemingly petting an imaginary dog. Prior to the murders, police had been called to Hazelwood's home on multiple occasions, including one instance where his grandmother suspected him of stealing a gun. Another report indicated that at 16, Hazelwood had taken knives and a sword from his grandparents' gun safe and told his grandmother that 'he was going to blow and people were going to get hurt.'
In May 2017, Jeffrey Hazelwood accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty but mentally ill to the murders of Carter Davis and Natalie Henderson. A psychiatrist confirmed that Hazelwood suffered from five mental illnesses which resulted in hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. He was sentenced to life in prison for the slayings. Family and friends remembered Carter as a loving and passionate young man with a talent for sports, including soccer, football, and lacrosse.
