Mother of country singer killed in ‘highly unusual’ home invasion, killer shot to death by her husband

A tragedy struck a Virginia home when an armed intruder broke in and stabbed and killed a woman before he was shot by her husband. More information about the victim has since been revealed — she was Holly Hatcher, 62, mother of country singer Spencer Hatcher.

In what authorities are now struggling to understand, much like the New York City shooting, Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson released a video statement alongside Spencer Hatcher in complete bewilderment. Authorities are calling the incident completely random and highly unusual.

In a breakdown of the events that led to the invasion, released by People, the intruder reportedly broke into the Hatchers’ home on Aug. 3. Deputies from the sheriff’s office got a call reporting the incident near midnight. When they responded and arrived at the scene, they found Michael Hatcher, 65 (Holly’s husband), injured, and Kevin Moses Walker, 41, dead in the Hatchers’ driveway. Walker is believed to be the main suspect in the stabbing and killing.

Upon entering the home, authorities found Holly had already succumbed to her stab wounds. It is now believed Walker broke into the Hatcher homestead and fatally stabbed Holly before getting into an altercation with Michael that moved to the driveway, where Michael reached for his gun and fatally shot Walker.

The sheriff’s office has since tracked Walker’s final movements. Reportedly, the suspect purchased the knife at a local Walmart and had broken into Endless Caverns campsite, but the location showed no signs of theft. There’s no official word, but the more details emerge, the fewer answers come regarding a motive — which is often the case in mental health–motivated killings.

The sheriff also shared that he had known the Hatcher family for a very long time and added that Holly was a great influence on the budding country singer. Spencer Hatcher took to Instagram to officially announce the postponement of his tour dates, partially stating, “I hope to make these dates up to my fans in the future. I appreciate everyone that has lent their support to me and my loved ones. We ask that everyone please respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

The family went on to release a joint video where the father, Michael, addressed the public. In the video, he said that while there are still unanswered questions about the senseless attack, the family is now just deep in grief. He also shared that they are now focused on building their connection together during this extremely difficult time.

In situations such as this, motives take a little time before being confirmed by authorities. There will definitely be people close to Walker questioned, and when more context about his past is understood, the Hatcher family can finally get answers that may help them find some sense of finality and understand what led to their loss.

We also send our deepest condolences to Spencer Hatcher and his family. In the comments section of his tour date announcement, Spencer’s fans shared the same sentiments, letting him know they stood with him during this difficult time and that he should take all the time he needs.