Thomas Leslie Ferguson, a 54-year-old man from Lenoir, North Carolina, was found dead on October 29, 2021, in a mobile home near the Wilkes/Caldwell county line. Ferguson, who was of Caucasian descent, had apparently died from a gunshot wound. His body was discovered lying in a hallway inside the mobile home on N.C. 268 West near the Elk Creek – Darby Road in Ferguson around 7:40 a.m. on that Friday morning.
A firearm was found at the scene, and his body was sent to a state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.
Following the discovery of Ferguson's body, two individuals were arrested and charged in connection with his death. Chasity Starr Davis, a 35-year-old woman from Lenoir, was charged with murder and larceny of a motor vehicle. Davis was found walking along Highway 268 near Ferguson's Chrysler PT Cruiser, which she had allegedly stolen from outside the home where he was found dead. She was taken into custody and is being held with no bond on the murder charge. William Hayes Coffey, a 54-year-old man from Lenoir, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder. Coffey met investigators at the scene of the killing and was taken in for questioning before being charged. He is being held at the Wilkes Jail under a $100,000 bond.
The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the case, and both Davis and Coffey had their first court appearances set for November 1, 2021, in Wilkes District Court. Investigators have not disclosed any details about Ferguson's relationship with the suspects, and no clear motive for the killing has been established. The investigation is ongoing, and further details have not been released.
