On January 31, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., the Cherokee County Communication Center received a 911 call reporting a gunshot wound at a residence on Dan Holland Road in Andrews, North Carolina. Upon arrival, deputies and paramedics discovered 45-year-old Amy Jennifer Debty Freeman deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Following an investigation, authorities arrested her husband, 43-year-old Randy Dean Freeman, on February 19, 2024.
He was charged with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Amy Freeman was born on December 15, 1978, in Andrews to Johnny Debty and the late Linda Martin Debty. She was a member of Vengeance Creek Baptist Church and was known for her contagious laughter and love for life. She cherished time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren. In addition to her mother, Amy was preceded in death by her brothers, Jamey Anderson and Anthony Eugene Debty, and a grandson, Braylen. She is survived by her father, Johnny Debty; her children, Summer Ellis of Marble, Tabetha Thomas of Michigan, and Joseph Thomas of Michigan; her sister, Kathy Leitner; her brother, William Debty; her grandmother, Sadie Debty; and her grandchildren, Winter Star Finch and Jesse Douglas Barlow.
Funeral services were held on February 8, 2024, at Vengeance Creek Baptist Church, followed by interment at Vengeance Creek Memorial Garden in Marble, North Carolina.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Amy Freeman's death. They have urged anyone with information related to the incident to contact their Criminal Investigation Division at 828-837-2589.
