Two foster parents were found dead inside their quiet Hoke County home, their bodies bearing multiple stab wounds, and the teenager they had been caring for became the sole suspect before his life ended hours later in another county.Joann Nicole Chavis, 46, and Matthew Chavis, 53, were discovered on October 27 just after 6 p.m. when deputies responded to a call about a possible medical emergency at their residence on Cope Road in Raeford. What they found inside turned the call into a homicide investigation. The 17-year-old foster child, identified only as D.P., had already fled the scene in a vehicle,

Two foster parents were found dead inside their Hoke County home in what authorities are calling a horrific case of domestic violence that ended with three lives lost across two counties. **Joann Nicole Chavis, 46, and Matthew Chavis, 53**, were discovered on **October 27 just after 6 p.m.** inside their residence on **Cope Road in Raeford**, after deputies 

responded to a call reporting a possible medical emergency. When first responders entered the home, they were met with a grisly scene — both victims had sustained multiple stab wounds.Investigators quickly determined that the deaths were homicides and began searching for the couple’s 17-year-old foster son, identified only by his initials, **D.P.** 

According to the **Hoke County Sheriff’s Office**, the teenager had already fled the scene in one of the family’s vehicles before deputies arrived. An alert was issued to surrounding counties as law enforcement worked through the night to locate him.Hours later, authorities in a neighboring county found the vehicle abandoned, and D.P. was discovered dead nearby from what appeared to be a **self-inflicted gunshot wound**. 

Officials believe he took his own life sometime after the murders, bringing the tragic chain of events to an end.Neighbors described the Chavises as warm and nurturing people who had opened their home to children in need through the state’s foster care system. “They were good-hearted folks who just wanted to help,” one neighbor said. “This has shaken all of us.”

Detectives are continuing to piece together what might have led to the violence, reviewing past reports, communications, and the teen’s behavioral history. The **North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services** confirmed it is cooperating fully with investigators as the community mourns the loss of two devoted foster parents whose compassion met a heartbreaking end.