On the night of June 30, 1994, a tragic event unfolded at the Witchduck Inn in Virginia Beach, Virginia, forever altering the lives of several families. Abdelaziz Gren, a 34-year-old male of Moroccan descent, was a patron at the bar when he was fatally shot in what became the city's worst mass killing. Originally from Morocco, Gren had moved to the United States 24 years prior and worked at his sister and brother-in-law's restaurant, The Pizza Chef Inn.
He was a regular at the Witchduck Inn, which was close to his home.
That evening, Gren was one of four victims in a robbery that turned into a quadruple homicide. The others killed were the bar's owner, Lam Van Son, 41, and two employees, Karen S. Rounds, 31, and Wendel G. Parrish Jr., 32. The victims were discovered by a customer who found the front door locked and entered through a rear door. While two of the victims were found dead at the scene, Gren was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation quickly led to the arrests of Michael Clagett and his girlfriend, Denise Holsinger. Holsinger was a former bartender at the Witchduck Inn who had been fired. The motive for the crime was determined to be a robbery planned by Holsinger as an act of revenge. During the robbery, Clagett shot each of the four victims in the head while Holsinger emptied the cash register, stealing approximately $400.
Following their arrests, both Clagett and Holsinger faced multiple charges, including capital murder. In a televised interview from jail, Clagett confessed to the killings, stating, 'I did it. I killed them,' and claimed he deserved to die. He also implicated Holsinger, saying she urged him to commit the murders. Holsinger initially denied involvement but later admitted to being at the bar with Clagett. Ultimately, Denise Holsinger pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five concurrent life terms plus 23 years in prison. Michael Clagett was convicted on four counts of capital murder and, after his appeals were exhausted, was executed by electric chair on July 6, 2000.
