On March 9, 2024, in Mooresville, North Carolina, 22-year-old Eduardo Cordova and 24-year-old Caleb Loper were found deceased in a residence on Home Drive. Both victims had been restrained and bound before being fatally shot. A third individual was discovered on the back porch with critical injuries and was transported to a medical facility for treatment.
Witnesses reported observing three men wearing ski masks entering the home prior to the incident.
Shortly thereafter, gunshots were heard, and the suspects were seen fleeing the scene. Investigators quickly identified 39-year-old Justin Michael Strawser as a primary suspect. Authorities believe that the attack was not random; rather, it was motivated by narcotics and robbery, with the victims and Strawser known to each other.
Law enforcement tracked Strawser to a residence on Oswalt Amity Road. Upon arrival, deputies were confronted by Strawser, who was armed with an AR-15 rifle. He barricaded himself inside the home, where four juveniles were also present. Throughout an eight-hour standoff, Strawser fired multiple rounds at deputies, striking several sheriff's office vehicles. Negotiators attempted to persuade him to surrender, during which Strawser made statements implicating himself in the earlier homicides.
After negotiations failed, deputies deployed gas into the residence, prompting the juveniles to exit the home. Strawser emerged behind them, continuing to fire at law enforcement officers. In the ensuing exchange, deputies returned fire, fatally wounding Strawser, who was found wearing a bulletproof vest. The juveniles and deputies were unharmed during the incident.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Strawser's wife, 40-year-old Ashlee Louise Klepfer. She was charged with felony accessory after the fact and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, among other offenses. Authorities allege that Klepfer assisted her husband following the murders and provided firearms to the juveniles during the standoff. She was apprehended during a traffic stop in Statesville, North Carolina, where a 15-year-old male passenger was found in possession of a loaded firearm and methamphetamine.
Additionally, nearly two months after the incident, three teenage boys—a 17-year-old and two 15-year-olds—were charged in connection with the case. The 17-year-old and one 15-year-old each face two counts of first-degree murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, three counts of felony armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, and felony conspiracy to commit murder. The other 15-year-old is charged with felony assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer, felony possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, and misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an officer-involved shooting investigation, and three deputies involved in the shooting of Strawser have been placed on administrative leave, as per standard procedure.
