Sarah Willis, a 67-year-old white woman, was brutally murdered alongside her husband, E.Z. Willis, aged 70, in August 1991 in Gaston County, North Carolina. The couple was attacked in their home by Phillip Lee Ingle, who broke in and bludgeoned them to death with a tire iron. E.Z. Willis attempted to defend himself and his wife, striking Ingle with his cane and inflicting a black eye and facial gash on the assailant. Despite his efforts, both he and Sarah Willis succumbed to their injuries.
This double homicide occurred shortly after Ingle had committed a similar crime in July 1991, where he murdered another elderly couple, William Fred Davis, 68, and Margaret Davis, 67, in Rutherford County, North Carolina. In that instance, Ingle entered their home through an unlocked door and beat them to death with an axe handle. He later disposed of evidence by burning and discarding items belonging to the victims.
Ingle's actions were initially undiscovered until he confessed to a friend, expressing a disturbing enjoyment in watching people die in agony. This confession led to his arrest and subsequent trial. Despite presenting a defense based on mental illness, Ingle was found competent to stand trial and was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree burglary. He was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection on September 22, 1995.
