AUTRYVILLE, NC – Four individuals, including two women and two men, were discovered dead at a homeless camp near Autryville, Sampson County. The county sheriff’s office responded to calls of gunshots near the end of Tanner Lane on Sunday morning.
According to a local resident who asked to be anonymous, she had heard an altercation at the camp while returning from her morning dog walk. She recounted hearing a series of 10 to 15 gunshots shortly after.
Upon arriving at the scene, the deputies found the bodies of four individuals near two tents in the encampment, all with apparent gunshot wounds. From preliminary inquiries, the authorities believe the incident to be a murder-suicide case.
The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that three of the victims had multiple gunshot wounds, while one had a singular gunshot injury. A heartbroken Barbara Greene identified two of the victims as her children, expressing her disbelief over the tragic incident.
The ongoing investigation aims to discern any further foul play, though there appears to be no immediate danger to the public. The victims were identified as Daniel Jay Wiltshire (44), Amber Rae King (43), and Carrie Nichole Trampel (41), all from Autryville. The alleged perpetrator was identified as 40-year-old Dwane Paul Miller of Marysville, Washington.
Investigators noted that Miller and Trampel had a history of domestic violence issues. Evidence at the scene suggests that all four individuals had lived in the tents for several weeks. The crime scene findings indicated that Miller fired his weapon several times at the victims before taking his own life.