‘There’s blood everywhere,’ 911 calls paint disturbing picture of deadly family fight

By Hannah Mackenzie

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    MACON COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Newly obtained 911 calls paint a chaotic and disturbing picture of the afternoon a family fight led to the death of one man in Macon County.

According to Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks, Nathan Humphries, 30, was killed after a fight with multiple families at a home on Stiwinter Mountain Road on Jan. 1.

The first call to 911 that day came from a man claiming to be Humphries’ stepbrother.

Caller: “Nathan Humphries is up here he doesn’t live here, I live here he’s up here, he’s trying to start fights and s**t. Get deputies up here. They need to remove him.”

The man breathlessly tells the 911 dispatcher that a fight had broken out between family members.

Dispatch: “Do you know what it’s over?”

Caller: “It’s over my dad’s been wanting that tree down forever my sons came here to help me take this tree down and because he’s in the tree business he’s the one who knows how to do whatever, I don’t know but he came up here saying nobody is taking no tree down saying I’m taking advantage of my dad, this, that and the other ”

Dispatch: “Is anybody hurt?”

Caller: “Not yet.”

Then, another call came in shortly after. This one was more panicked and came from Humphries’ wife.

Whitley Humphries: “Can I have the law and the ambulance to Stiwinter Mountain Road immediately? They’ve killed my husband.”

Dispatcher: “What’s going on?”

Whitley Humphries: “Somebody’s killed my husband. Please 911 Stiwinter Mountain Road please ambulance hurry.”

Begging for help, she called back a second time.

Whitley Humphries: “They’ve hurt him, they jumped him, they’ve hurt him he’s not breathing please”

Dispatch: “OK, you’re saying he’s not breathing?”

Whitley Humphries: “No. I can’t help and there’s no service here ”

Dispatch: “Did they jump him physically or did they OK ”

Whitley Humphries: “Yes physically yes.”

Dispatch: “I need to know if you can do CPR for me?”

Whitley Humphries: “I can’t there’s blood everywhere. I can’t even get to his face; they won’t let me near him ”

Dispatch: “OK.”

Whitley Humphries: “There’s a whole bunch of guys up here.”

Dispatch: “OK. Alright, we’ve got help headed that way.”

Nathan Humphries was later pronounced dead. According to an autopsy report, his cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to neck compression; the manner of death was ruled homicide.

More than 9 months later, on Monday, Sept. 11, a grand jury indicted Ashton Stiwinter. The 23-year-old is charged with voluntary manslaughter.

In the state of North Carolina, voluntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. According to personnel at the Macon County Clerk of Court’s Office, Stiwinter is out of jail on bond. Records show he is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 30.

News 13’s Hannah Mackenzie reached out to District Attorney Ashley Welch’s office to find out if others involved in the fatal fight will be charged in Humphries’ death. According to a representative with the DA’s office, the DA cannot comment on pending matters and cannot confirm if additional charges are pending.

News 13 also reached out to Whitley Humphries for comment on Ashton Stiwinter’s indictment. She provided the following statement:

I am continuing to handle my husband’s case with the grace and kindness of Jesus. I am most thankful that there was sufficient evidence to prove my husband’s life was taken in a horrible, uncalled for, and unnecessary way. The guilty ones are only concerned with trying to prove their “innocence”. I’m concerned with inspiring others world wide to handle their brokenness with grace and love. Them and I are not the same. I don’t worry about the lies and false reports on social media or the news interviews. God saw it all. He also heard the thoughts and observed each heart of those that were involved as He continues to do so everyday. He will serve punishment in the way He sees fit in His time. God already knows the outcome of this case and my faith remains strong in Him. My reactions and responses to this case are being watched nationwide so I will continue to show God’s love instead of anger. A woman of God is calm, but she’s also a warrior and her prayers will move mountains. I still long for the day when I hear God say, “Well done my good and faithful one.” It is then, that justice will be served.”

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