Roxanne Auton Mitchem, a 32-year-old woman from Hickory, NC, was tragically killed on August 12, 2019, in a murder-suicide incident. The Hickory Police Department responded to a call at 9:09 p.m. regarding a woman who had been shot and was seen lying in the yard. Upon arrival, officers found Roxanne Auton Mitchem dead on the property. Inside the home, they discovered Jessica Rose Fowler, 34, also dead from a gunshot wound, and Fowler's estranged husband, David Christopher Covington, 37, who had
died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The incident also involved another victim, Dorrian Doral Pearson, 32, who fled the residence on foot after being shot multiple times. He was found on a nearby street and taken to a local hospital for treatment. Two small children were present in the home at the time of the incident but were unharmed.
The relationship between Covington and Fowler was marked by domestic violence allegations dating back to 2010. Court documents revealed that Covington had accused Fowler of harassment, and in 2011, Fowler accused Covington of assault, stating that he had grabbed her and left bruises on her arm. Fowler's request for a domestic violence protection order was denied. The court records also contained a Facebook message from Covington, in which he ominously stated that one of them would leave in a body bag.
No charges are pending, and the case remains under investigation. The authorities have not disclosed the exact motive behind the murder-suicide.
