On August 30, 2024, 50-year-old Roy Lee Elkins of the Prices Creek Community in Burnsville, North Carolina, was fatally shot on Prices Creek Road. The Yancey County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, promptly initiated an investigation into the incident.
Shortly after the shooting, authorities arrested Grant Blankenship, charging him with voluntary manslaughter in connection with Elkins' death. Blankenship was released later that evening after posting a $100,000 secured bond.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Elkins' death remains ongoing. As of now, no further details have been released by law enforcement. The community continues to await additional information as authorities work diligently to gather more facts about the case.
Elkins is remembered by his family as being full of life, with a passion for outdoor activities such as fishing and riding his dirt bike and four-wheeler. He is survived by his parents, Ben and Marvelene Austin Elkins, his sister Teresa Wilson, and several nieces and nephews. A private graveside service was held in the family cemetery.
