Murphy – A homeless man accused in the June 23 slaying of a woman near Walmart could face the death penalty.
Patrick Ryan Williams, 29, is being held without bail on an unspecified murder charge and has requested a court-appointed lawyer. Williams allegedly used a machete in the attack on Lena Shook-Thompson, 52, alongside U.S. 19/74/129.
Because Williams may face a death sentence, a state-appointed public defender with experience in capital cases will be assigned, according to District Court Judge Tessa Sellers, who presided over Williams’ first court appearance on June 28.
Williams appeared before a magistrate via video conference within 72 hours of his arrest. His next court appearance will be July 19. He is being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center in the meantime.
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Thompson was working as a dishwasher at Parson’s Pub downtown and was reportedly looking for a place to sleep when she was killed.
Williams had been seen in Murphy acting erratically in the days leading up to the homicide.
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded to a report of a possible hit-and-run incident on June 23. Deputies located Thompson with life-threatening injuries beside a highway guardrail.
Emergency Medical Services responded and attempted to stabilize her. She was rushed to Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital in Peachtree, where she died of her injuries.
Deputies concluded from her injuries that Thompson had been the victim of an assault. Further investigation led deputies to Williams, who was taken into custody and charged.
Thompson’s funeral was held June 29. According to her obituary, she was born in Blairsville, Ga. She is survived by her husband, Scott Thompson of Blairsville, and three children.
Thompson had several Facebook pages – including one where she posted a photo of Williams’ personal information, including his birthdate, identification numbers and Social Security number on Jan. 18.
The page said she studied at Young Harris (Ga.) College, lived in Asheville and was in a civil union. Another Facebook page describes her becoming self-employed and moving to Murphy in May 2020.
A third Facebook page shows her checking in at Herbert-Johnson Friendship House, a local homeless shelter, on June 8. On June 12, she posted, “My kids hate me, don’t even try to come and see me and it is horrible to be an aging woman that no one cares about.
“I changed every diaper, just for this?”