Crime
William Durham Charged With Murder and Kidnapping in Fatal Shooting of USPS Employee Brandi Reynolds in Wilkes County
HAYS, N.C. — A Wilkes County man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping following the fatal shooting of a U.S. Postal Service employee Friday afternoon in the Hays community, according to the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities identified the victim as Brandi Byrd Reynolds, who was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot while inside a vehicle.
The suspect, William Craig Durham, 56, of Roaring River, is being held without bond at the Wilkes County Jail.
According to the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched at approximately 4:00 p.m. on June 26 to a residence in the 300 block of Monteith Acres Road in Hays after receiving a 911 call reporting that a woman had been shot.
When deputies arrived, they found Reynolds suffering from fatal gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Despite emergency response efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that Durham allegedly kidnapped Reynolds before she was fatally shot, leading authorities to charge him with both first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
Officials said the kidnapping charge alleges that Reynolds was abducted and seriously injured before her death.
During the investigation, witnesses reported seeing a gray Nissan Altima connected to the incident. Authorities also said the suspect allegedly displayed a firearm and threatened a woman during the events leading up to the fatal shooting.
Investigators further confirmed that a U.S. Postal Service vehicle was involved in the incident, and several nearby residents reported hearing multiple gunshots before law enforcement arrived.
Following the investigation, deputies arrested Durham and transported him to the Wilkes County Jail, where he remains held without bond.
According to court records, Durham is scheduled to make his first court appearance on June 29.
The Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the fatal shooting and has not released additional details regarding the motive or the relationship between Durham and Reynolds.
Authorities said additional information will be released as the investigation progresses and court proceedings continue.
The case remains an active homicide investigation.
Crime
Bianchinies Cruz shot and killed his wife Alisha Marie before taking his own life in Manchester Home, 8-Year-Old Boy Shot and Injured
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Two adults identified as Bianchinies Cruz and Alisha Marie, also known as “Limber Alii Cruz,” were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside a Manchester home on Tuesday morning, October 27, 2026. An 8-year-old boy was also found suffering from a gunshot wound and remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to New Hampshire authorities.
The Manchester Police Department responded to a home at 59 Wheelock Street at approximately 9:34 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a request for a welfare check. The caller expressed concern about the well-being of the three people believed to be living at the residence: an adult man, an adult woman and their 8-year-old male child.
According to a joint announcement from New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella and Manchester Police Chief Peter A. Meyer, officers entered the home and found both adults deceased. The child was alive but had sustained a gunshot wound to his torso.
Emergency responders transported the injured boy to a regional trauma center, where he was reported to be in stable condition and receiving medical treatment.
Authorities said the adult woman appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while the adult man appeared to have suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The adults were identified in the information provided as Bianchinies Cruz and Alisha Marie, also known as Limber Alii Cruz. Authorities have not released further details about their relationship or the circumstances that preceded the shooting.
Detectives are investigating the incident as a potential murder-suicide, according to the announcement from state and local authorities. This remains a preliminary investigative direction, and officials have not released a final determination regarding the circumstances or manner of the deaths.
Autopsies were scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Concord. The examinations are expected to assist authorities in determining the official causes and manners of death.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed additional details about the firearm, the events leading up to the shooting or who may have fired the shots.
Authorities said there was no known threat to the general public in connection with the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as Manchester police and state officials continue working to establish what happened inside the Wheelock Street residence.
Further information may be released as the investigation progresses and autopsy findings become available.