Morganton -- August 7. 2026: A man who pleaded guilty to stabbing a dog to death at an Asheville park in 2023 was fatally shot in Morganton last month, with four people now facing charges in connection with his death.
James Wesley Henry, 46, was shot and killed during the early morning hours of Sunday, July 26, near West Union Street and Hillside Lane in Morganton.
According to the Morganton Department of Public Safety, officers heard multiple gunshots coming from the area at approximately 1 a.m. and immediately responded.
Officers located Henry lying face down in the roadway and began lifesaving measures until Burke County EMS arrived and assumed medical care. Despite those efforts, Henry died from his injuries.
Henry's identity was withheld in the department's initial announcement pending notification of his next of kin. He was subsequently identified in records connected to the investigation.
Portions of West Union Street were closed for several hours while investigators with Morganton Public Safety and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation processed the scene.
Four Arrested Following Shooting
Morganton Public Safety announced the arrests of four people following the investigation.
Kevon Mack, 18, of Morganton, was charged with felony murder and initially ordered held without bond.
Braxton Garland Collins, 19, of Morganton, was charged with felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor discharge of a firearm within city limits. His secured bond was set at $25,000.
Justice Grant Raab, 20, of Morganton, was charged with felony obstruction of justice and received a $20,000 secured bond.
Ayanna Nichole Parridgen, 19, of Hickory, was charged with felony obstruction of justice and received a $20,000 secured bond.
Morganton Public Safety's initial release did not provide details about what led to the shooting or identify a possible motive.
Authorities have also not publicly indicated that Henry's previous criminal case in Asheville had any connection to his killing.
All four people charged in connection with the case are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Henry Pleaded Guilty in 2023 Asheville Dog Killing
Henry was previously the defendant in a highly publicized animal cruelty case involving the stabbing death of a dog at Weaver Park in Asheville.
The attack occurred on June 26, 2023.
The dog, Beignet, was an 11-year-old mixed-breed dog belonging to Liesbeth Mackie, who was playing pickleball nearby when the attack occurred.
According to authorities and reports from the case, Beignet was tethered in a shaded area near the courts when Henry approached the dog. Henry grabbed Beignet and repeatedly stabbed the animal with a knife in what authorities described as an unprovoked attack.
Beignet died from the injuries.
Henry was arrested and charged with felony cruelty to animals.
The case was delayed after Henry was found incompetent to stand trial in April 2024. He was sent to Broughton Hospital in Morganton for treatment and evaluation and was later determined competent to proceed with the criminal case.
On February 10, 2025, Henry pleaded guilty to one count of felony cruelty to animals.
Henry was sentenced to between eight and 19 months in prison. He had already accumulated approximately 595 days of confinement while awaiting resolution of the case and received credit for that time.
Following Henry's guilty plea, Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams used the case to call for stronger penalties under North Carolina's animal cruelty laws.
Investigation Remains Ongoing
Morganton Public Safety has not publicly disclosed a motive for Henry's killing or detailed the circumstances that led to the gunfire.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assisted Morganton Public Safety with processing the scene. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Burke County Sheriff's Office, Valdese Police Department and Burke County EMS also assisted.
Anyone with information or video related to the shooting is encouraged to contact Morganton Public Safety Investigator Bess at 828-437-1211.