Carolyn Hall Jeffries, a 68-year-old African American woman, was found dead in her home on Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 20, 2017. Her brother discovered her unresponsive when he went to check on her after family members had not heard from her in several days. Upon entering the house, he found her covered with a blanket, and she did not respond when he called her name.
The investigation revealed that Carolyn Hall Jeffries' death was linked to a family feud and
a fatal shooting that occurred near a Waffle House on Capital Boulevard a week earlier. The suspect in the shooting, 51-year-old Jason Maurice Griffith, was identified as the husband of Emma Griffith, who was injured in the Waffle House incident. John Derrick Wright, 51, was killed in the same shooting.
Carolyn Hall Jeffries was married to Willie McCullers Jr., who owned the Rock Quarry home until his death in April. McCullers did not have a will, and the home was transferred to his estranged wife, Carolyn Jeffries. This led to a legal dispute among family members over the ownership of the home. Many family members were upset that Jeffries received the home, as she and McCullers were separated.
On December 15, 2017, Jason Griffith shot his wife, Emma Griffith, and her companion, John Derrick Wright, outside the Waffle House. Emma Griffith survived the shooting, while Wright did not. Jason Griffith later killed himself at the Carolina Biblical Gardens Cemetery on Creech Road. Shell casings found at the Rock Quarry Road home matched those from the Waffle House shooting, linking the two incidents.
The Raleigh Police Department confirmed the connection between the two cases and continued their investigation, consulting with the Wake County District Attorney's Office. The investigation revealed that Jason Griffith may have gone to Carolyn Hall Jeffries' home looking for his wife, Emma Griffith. The back door to the home was found unlocked, and shotgun shells were discovered in the backyard and a doorway.
Carolyn Hall Jeffries' death was a tragic outcome of a complex family feud and a series of violent events. The investigation into her death and the related incidents highlighted the deep-rooted tensions and disputes within the family.
