Murphy man murdered
Man charged with shooting his brother to death
By Dwight Otwell Editor

Sentinel photo Law enforcement officials discuss the murder on Regal Street. Included in the group are Cherokee County Sheriff Keith Lovin, Chief Deputy Tom Fry, Murphy Assistant Police Chief Jeff Postell and Cherokee County Sheriff's Lt. Joe Wood.

A Murphy man is charged with shooting his older brother to death. He then changed his shirt and went to work at a local restaurant.

The shooting occurred Monday afternoon at an old, board house at 578 Regal Street, across from an entrance to the future Cherokee County Sheriff's office and jail.

Jeffery Thomas Hancock, 18, is charged with first degree murder in the shoot- ing death of his brother, Jonathan Virgal Hancock, 20.

According to Murphy Police Chief Justin Jacobs, four young men were living at the old house, including the two brothers. On Sunday, the brothers had a heated conversation over the telephone in reference to one of the people who lived on and off at the residence, Jacobs said. According to the other two men who lived at the Regal Street house, around 2:30 p.m. Monday, one of the brothers got a cell phone call and went outside in the front yard. The men heard a loud explosion and ran outside and saw Jeffery Hancock standing over his brother and holding a weapon. Jacobs said that it appears that the murder could have stemmed from the Sunday argument.

Jeffery Hancock

By the time medics and law enforcement arrived, Jonathan Hancock was dead, Jacobs said. The deceased man had a gunshot wound in the abdomen around the belly button. He was lying in the front yard in the driveway in front of his vehicle, Jacobs said.

The initial call to 911 was made at 3:38 p.m. There was possibly a lapse of about 45 minutes between the time of the shooting and the initial 911 call, which was made by one of the foremen at the detention center site. The other two men living at the house may not have made a call to 911 immediately because they thought they would get in trouble by association, Jacobs said.

After the shooting, Jeffery Hancock reportedly gave the weapon, a single shot 12-gauge short barrel weapon, to one of the men. Hancock then went into the house, changed shirts and went to work at Brother's Restaurant. Sheriff's officials picked Hancock up at the restaurant and took him in for questioning.

Jeffery Hancock had just received a scholarship to attend a police academy, Jacobs said. Hancock had never been arrested, he said. Jonathan Hancock had just started a new job at Subway Restaurant in Blairsville, Jacobs said.

Marijuana was found growing in the underbrush around the home, Jacobs said. Therefore, Jeffery Hancock is charged not only with first degree murder but also felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and manufacturing marijuana.

Jeffery Hancock gave a verbal and written confession to the murder, Jacobs said.

The other two men living at the house were charged in connection with the marijuana. Anthony Daniel Wilder, 21 and John Alfred Anderson, 18, were both charged with manufacturing marijuana, felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and maintaining a dwelling/place for a controlled substance.

No bond was set for Jeffery Hancock and he was transported to the Haywood County detention facility. Wilder and Anderson were both in the Cherokee County jail Monday under $50,000 secured bond each.

An autopsy of Jonathan Hancock was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Jacobs said several law enforcement agencies worked together to handle the case. The agencies included the Cherokee County Sheriff's office, the victim advocate from the sheriff's office, the chaplain from the Murphy police department, paramedics, the North Carolina Highway Patrol and the SBI.