In the early morning hours of September 6, 2016, the quiet community of Huddleston, Virginia, was disturbed by a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 47-year-old Kimberly Ruff Meador. A witness at the scene reported to the Bedford County Sheriff's Office that George Torode entered Meador's residence on Crabapple Lane armed with a rifle and began shooting.
The witness, who was inside the home with Meador at the time, managed to escape out the back door when the shooter's rifle jammed.
As the witness fled to a neighboring house to call 911, more gunshots were heard coming from within the residence. When deputies arrived, they found Kimberly Meador, a white female, deceased inside her home.
The investigation quickly focused on George Torode as the suspect. It was revealed that Meador and Torode had a history of domestic disputes known to law enforcement. In fact, just days before the fatal incident, on September 3, 2016, Meador had sought and obtained an Assault and Battery warrant and an Emergency Protective Order against Torode, which explicitly forbade him from having any contact with her. Torode was arrested on September 4, 2016, and subsequently released on a $2,500 unsecured bond.
A search for George Torode was initiated following the shooting. Later that morning, a man matching his description was discovered deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Bedford County Sheriff's Office confirmed his identity and announced they were no longer searching for him in connection with Meador's murder. The bodies of both Kimberly Meador and George Torode were sent to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Roanoke for autopsy.
