Report suggests Chatham County double shooting was domestic violence related
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Autopsy rules Jennifer Scott died by homicide, Jeffrey Scott died by suicide.
- No history of domestic violence; family said Jeffrey was verbally abusive after drinking.
- Jeffrey allegedly threatened Jennifer after she suspected infidelity two weeks prior.
Roughly a half-hour before she and her husband were found dead in their Chatham County home on Nov. 6, 2025, Jennifer Scott sent a text to a family group chat at 10:16 p.m.
“Your dad has been cheating on me, he’s trying to kill me now with a gun,” Scott wrote. “Call 911, please help call 911, he has the gun I love you all.”
Scott sent several more texts with similar messages until a family member called 911 at 10:24 p.m., according to an investigative report from the N.C. medical examiner. Deputies from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the house at 10:45 p.m. They walked the perimeter of the home before peering through a window and seeing two bodies on the floor, the Sheriff’s Office said in November.
Deputies forced their way into the home at 10:52 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s report. There, they found Jennifer Scott, 50, and Jeffrey Scott, 54, dead with gunshot wounds to the head. Deputies found a gun in Jeffrey’s right hand, and a November autopsy confirmed Jennifer died by homicide and Jeffrey died by suicide.
What led up to the shooting
Prior to the night of the double shooting, there was no law enforcement history related to domestic violence at the Scotts’ home in Bear Creek, according to the investigative report. Bear Creek is an unincorporated community 15 miles southwest of Pittsboro.
A primary care provider who had seen the couple since 2018 told investigators he always saw the two together whenever they made a visit. The last visit the Scotts made to their primary care provider was on Oct. 10, 2025, roughly a month before the shooting, according to the investigative report. The provider told investigators he didn’t see any signs of domestic violence and “both seemed appropriate.”
Family members told investigators Jeffrey Scott only became verbally abusive after drinking alcohol, according to the investigative report. None could recall any past physical abuse from Scott.
Jennifer Scott’s father told investigators that two weeks before the shooting, Jennifer told Jeffrey she may move out because she suspected Jeffrey was cheating on her, according to the investigative report. Jennifer’s father alleged that Jeffrey told her “if you try to leave me, I will blow your [expletive] brains out.”
When deputies came to the house the night of the shooting, they found a bag on the dining table next to Jennifer Scott’s purse, according to the investigative report. The bag contained her medications, a couple changes of undergarments, socks, cash, a pair of shoes and her car keys.
‘She never met a stranger’
Jeffrey Scott worked for the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office before he worked as a lieutenant for the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, according to his obituary. He retired before the age of 48. He most recently worked for Mountaire Farms as a security supervisor.
Jennifer Scott loved collecting seashells on the beach, spending time with her grandchildren and cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs, according to her obituary. She is survived by her son, daughter and three grandchildren.
“She was a very giving, loving, and caring friend to everyone and she never met a stranger,” the obituary read. “She loved her children and grandchildren with everything she had.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Report suggests Chatham County double shooting was domestic violence related."
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