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4th child dies after shooting rampage

Thursday, November 24, 2011
(Updated Friday, November 25 - 8:09 am)

— Another child shot Sunday during one of Guilford County’s deadliest shooting sprees died Wednesday afternoon.

Makayla Leigh Woods, 15, was a sophomore at Southeast Guilford High School. Officials with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said she died at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday after being shot in the head by Mary Ann Holder.

Woods was dating Holder’s oldest son, Dylan Smith, 17, who was shot and killed.

In a new twist in the story, two days before she shot four other children in the head, Holder filed a court document that could have protected two of them from their father, whom she alleged had used drugs and committed domestic abuse, according to the document posted online by WGHP, Fox 8.

Meanwhile, authorities seized guns and ammunition from the home of shooting victim Randy Lamb  on Tuesday — an attempt to prove their theory Holder acted alone  in the spree that left five dead and one critically injured.

On Wednesday, Col. Randy Powers of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said people have accused Lamb of some of the shootings.

Investigators don’t think that’s the case, Powers said, and believe Holder acted alone. However, Powers said officials want to eliminate other people and possibilities from the investigation.

Lamb has said he was carrying a weapon when he met Holder on Sunday.

“At this time, he’s not a suspect,” Powers said Wednesday of Lamb. “We’re just not leaving any stones unturned.”

On Friday, according to the document posted by Fox 8, Holder filed the child custody complaint against Brian J. Suttles, alleging that Suttles domestically abused his children’s mother, causing her to go into early labor with another child. Carrie Beth Suttles, the children’s mother and Holder’s best friend, died  March 9 after Holder had taken custody of the children.

One of those children, Hanaleigh Suttles, died after being shot Sunday by Holder. Holder also shot Ricky Suttles, Hanaleigh’s brother, who was on life support Wednesday.

Powers said investigators will use forensic tests on the weapons and DNA tests on the victims to confirm their theory that Holder was the lone shooter.

 On Sunday morning, Holder shot Lamb in the elbow and shoulder in the parking lot of GTCC’s aviation center on Regional Road.

Before killing herself in her black Ford Explorer on Remora Road, Holder also fatally shot:

  • Her son, Dylan Smith, 17. He was shot in their home at 923 Cocoa Drive.
  • Her younger son, Zack Smith, 14. Zack was shot in the back of Holder’s Ford Explorer and died Monday at Moses Cone Hospital.
  • Her niece, Hanaleigh Suttles, 8. She was shot at Holder’s home and died Monday at the hospital.
  • Woods, who also was shot at Holder’s home.

Holder also shot her nephew, Ricky Suttles, 17. He remained on life support Wednesday, Powers said.

All five children were shot in  the head.

Investigators believe the four children in the Cocoa Drive home were shot while sleeping in different rooms.

Family members haven’t announced funeral arrangements.

Robert “Ricky” Smith — the father of Dylan and Zack Smith — said that Holder, her sons and her niece will share a visitation and funeral, according to the pastor of Pleasant Garden Baptist Church.

As they investigate one of Guilford County’s most horrific crimes, investigators are focusing on the relationship between Holder and Lamb. Their affair started sometime in 2008 and ended  recently, court documents and interviews showed.

Here’s what authorities believe:

Holder and Lamb met Saturday at the Walmart on Elmsley Drive in Greensboro. She gave him a check made out to Lamb’s wife, Jennifer Swann Lamb, for $10,000.

Jennifer Lamb said she initiated a civil lawsuit against Holder for alienation of affection. But the lawsuit never reached the court system. The check could have been an out-of-court settlement, sheriff officials said.

Holder and Randy Lamb met again Sunday, but it’s unclear why.

The sheriff’s office said the pair must have communicated to arrange the meetings, so deputies wanted to check cellphones and computers they may have used.

On Sunday, deputies searched Lamb’s house at 5801 Harvest Springs Drive.

They took an assortment of electronic equipment — cameras, laptops, a thumb drive and MP3 players. They also found a wooden box with marijuana residue in Lamb’s master bedroom.

While searching, officers saw other handguns in a bedroom gun safe.

On Tuesday, they seized from Lamb’s house:

  • A Smith & Wesson M&P pistol with holster and loaded magazine.
  • A Bersa 83 semi-automatic pistol with loaded magazine and holster.

Lamb said in a hospital interview that he had a handgun with him when Holder shot him, according to one of the search warrants for Lamb’s home.

“We don’t have any reason to believe that he showed her the weapon at this time,” Powers said.

Authorities are awaiting autopsy and toxicology results for Holder from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill. Powers said Sheriff BJ Barnes had to file a request since she committed suicide.

The examiner likely will test for chemicals — natural or otherwise — in Holder’s system at the time of her death.

Despite two notes left by Holder taking responsibility for the shootings, police said a definite motive is not yet clear.

“This will be the $64,000 question because we don’t have anyone alive who can answer it,” Powers said. “A couple of theories have gone up in the air, but we really don’t know yet.”

Staff Writers Jonnelle Davis, Tina Firesheets and Dioni L. Wise and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Margaret Moffett Banks at 373-7031 or margaret.banks@news-record.com
 

Accompanying Photos

Mary Ann Holder

Photo Caption: Mary Ann Holder

WANT TO HELP?

Pleasant Garden Baptist Church is accepting online donations for the Holder, Smith and Suttles families. Donate at www.pgbc.com

MORE ONLINE

Read a statement from the Smith family, send notes or make donations at http://robertsmithandfamily.com/

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