Chief Willard Wayne Hathaway, age 47, was the Chief of Police in Sharpsburg, North Carolina. On July 17, 1997, he responded to a domestic dispute call at a trailer in Weaver's mobile home park. During the incident, he was shot in the head by the suspect, Abner Nicholson, who also killed his wife, Gloria Nicholson, 25, at the scene. Chief Hathaway succumbed to his injuries the following day at Duke Medical Center.
Following the shootings, an extensive manhunt was launched involving over
100 law enforcement officers from multiple counties. Abner Nicholson, a 32-year-old mechanic who had recently lost his job, was arrested late Thursday night after being found hiding less than a mile from the crime scene. He faced two counts of first-degree murder.
On November 10, 1999, Nicholson was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. Initially, he was given two death sentences on November 18, 1999, but the death sentences were later overturned, and he was sentenced to two life sentences.
Chief Hathaway had served as chief of the Sharpsburg Police Department for 25 years and was well-respected in the community. He is survived by his son. In honor of his service, a portion of U.S. 301 through Sharpsburg was named after him.
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