On August 23, 2008, Linda Diane Marley, a 46-year-old white female, was found deceased in the yard of her residence on Old Lankford Road in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. She had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her estranged husband, Terry Crit Marley, age 48, was discovered beside her body with a severe, apparently self-inflicted cut on his arm. He was airlifted to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and subsequently transferred to Broughton Hospital, a state psychiatric facility in Morganton.
A warrant for Terry Marley's arrest was issued on September 2, 2008, but it was not served until September 10, 2009, over a year later. During this period, authorities were aware of his location but delayed serving the warrant due to his confinement in the psychiatric hospital. At the time of his scheduled court appearance in November 2009, his attorney informed the judge that Marley remained hospitalized, leading to a continuance of the case until January.
Prior to her death, Linda Diane Marley had reported multiple instances of domestic abuse by Terry Marley. In a complaint filed on May 31, 2008, she detailed threats to her life and described past incidents where he had physically assaulted her, including beating, choking, and threatening her with weapons. A temporary domestic violence protection order was granted, mandating that Terry Marley stay at least 250 feet away from her. However, the case was dismissed on June 9, 2008, when neither party appeared in court.
Following the incident, Terry Crit Marley was charged with the murder of his estranged wife, Linda Diane Marley. He remained in custody until his death on March 28, 2010, at Grace Hospital in Morganton, North Carolina. He was 49 years old at the time of his death.
