A 34-year-old Hiddenite man is facing a first-degree murder charge after he reportedly walked into the Alexander County detention center and told officials he had killed his 78-year-old grandmother. After Jeffrey Michael Minton made the alleged admission, deputies responded to a home in the Hiddenite community in connection with the woman's death.
According to the Alexander County Sheriff's Office, Minton showed up at the county detention center and claimed he had killed his grandmother. Deputies said they responded to a home in the Hiddenite community as part of the investigation into the woman's death, and the sheriff's office said Minton has since been charged with first-degree murder.
Court records reviewed by WHKY identify the suspect as Jeffrey Michael Minton Jr., 34, of Open Way Drive in Hiddenite, and indicate he was arrested Tuesday evening by Alexander County sheriff's officers. The station reports the charging documents allege Minton killed a female victim, though authorities have not released additional details about the alleged crime.
What Remains Unknown in the Case
Investigators have not disclosed how the woman died, what led up to the alleged killing, or any other specifics about what happened inside the Hiddenite home. No information has been made public about Minton's bond status, scheduled court date, or legal representation, and it is not known whether the case could lead to additional charges.
The case echoes another Alexander County killing from nearly two years earlier. In November 2024, deputies responding to a welfare check found 86-year-old Betty Kerley Tedder dead inside a Moravian Falls residence, according to the Taylorsville Times. In that case, the victim's 39-year-old grandson, Nathan Lee Lowe, was arrested and charged with her murder along with an additional charge of malicious conduct by a prisoner, and he was held without bond ahead of his first court appearance.
For residents looking to track the Minton case as it moves through the system, the North Carolina Judicial Branch notes that all 100 North Carolina counties now have online access to court records and services, directing those seeking birth, death, marriage and other public records to the Alexander County Register of Deeds.
