Jennifer Lynn Hultzman, a 49-year-old woman, tragically lost her life on September 14, 2022, in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The incident occurred at her residence on Burns Drive, where she lived with several roommates. Hultzman was shot by her 63-year-old roommate, Tommy Pursley, on the second-floor porch of their home. Pursley then went inside and took his own life with the same 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
The motive behind the murder-suicide remains unclear.
According to the police, there was no romantic relationship between Hultzman and Pursley, and they had been roommates for about five years. The investigation revealed that the two had lived in the Outer Banks for many years, and the police had responded to the house once in the last six months, but details of that incident were not disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
Hultzman, a Virginia Beach native, had a long career in healthcare before retiring in 2012 to move to the Outer Banks. She was a mother of four grown children and was well-known in the community for her involvement in various activities, including bowling leagues, cornhole, and shrimping. Her mother described her as a "ray of sunshine on a cloudy day" and a "rare treasure to be appreciated".
The murder-suicide is the only homicide not involving drug overdoses or car crashes in Kill Devil Hills for the year. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist with the case, and the investigation is ongoing.
