27-year-old accused of shooting, killing father & uncle, locking grandparents in bathroom

By Kari Barrows

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    HENDERSONVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Henderson County authorities have released new details in an ongoing homicide investigation.

During a press conference Monday morning, Nov. 22, Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin announced 27-year-old Garrett Robert Eley had been identified as the suspect in a double homicide that took place Sunday evening in Hendersonville.

Sheriff Griffin said Eley is accused of shooting and killing his father, 60-year-old Stephen Robert Eley and uncle, 57-year-old Brian Eugene Eley.

Garrett Robert Eley has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree kidnapping. He is currently being held in the Henderson County Detention Facility under no bond, pending a first appearance in court.

Griffin said the department believes a high-powered rifle was used in Sunday’s shooting.

Officials say on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 9:32 p.m. the Henderson County E-911 center received a call regarding an assault with gunshots at 39 Beaumont Drive in Hendersonville. Officers determined upon arrival that two people had been fatally shot.

“Henderson County dispatch received an unusual 911 call,” Sheriff Griffin detailed the events of Sunday evening. “The caller advised our telecommunicators that two people in the residence had been shot. What makes this so unusual is that the suspect admitted on the 911 call to being the shooter.”

Griffin described the suspect’s demeanor over the phone as “eerily calm.” “Garrett Eley knew what he was doing was wrong and knew this was not only creating a tragic event but it was illegal and there would be repercussions,” Sheriff Griffin said of the 911 call made.

During Monday morning’s press conference, Sheriff Griffin added that the suspect’s grandparents, Pat and Robert Barker, were also found at the home locked in a bathroom Sunday night. Both were taken to the hospital for evaluation, but the sheriff said he was not aware of any specific injuries related to the incident.

Officials say everyone involved in Sunday evening’s incident were residents of 39 Beaumont Drive.

During the press conference, Sheriff Griffin said the department’s major investigations unit had been depleted during a very busy weekend, so the department called in the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) for assistance in Sunday’s incident.

The sheriff says interviews are still being conducted in the initial phase of the investigation and that no motive has been determined at this time.

“Right now we’re really unclear on all of the why’s,” he said.

Griffin said the suspect has been corporative with authorities in the initial stages of the investigation.

Sheriff Griffn shared the following closing statement during Monday’s press conference:

“There is no reason for this type of senseless violence. This is a complete tragedy that’s going to ripple throughout this family. In my years in law enforcement, I’ve seen way too much of needless, senseless violence… I just ask that our folks in Henderson County, should they encounter any situation that they believe is too difficult for them to navigate, that before they turn to violence, they give us a call. We will set them up with the proper counseling, we’ll provide the proper resources. There’s absolutely no reason for this type of incident.”

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