Family members remember Teresa Adams-Pugh as a mother who was very family oriented.

The Johnston County Sheriff's Office found Adams-Pugh and her husband, Christopher Pugh, dead in their home Saturday night on Chaney Drive in Garner.

Other WRAL Top Stories

The couple's marriage appeared fine from the outside, Adams-Pugh's cousin, Josette Battle Goings, told WRAL News.

"This seems like it came out of nowhere," she said after learning of the Pughs' deaths.

Goings and Adams-Pugh kept in touch primarily through social media, she said, describing a post by Adams-Pugh that showed her in an embrace with her husband.

"Anytime she posted on them, it was nothing but good things," Goings said. "We always thanked God for social media, because that's how we could stay connected."

Goings and other family members shared a text chat where they worked out the couple's last moments.

"It was confusing and shocking," Goings said, to learn that Christopher Pugh allegedly shot his wife and then took his own life. "You never really know from the outside looking in what's going on," she said.

Melissa Mattes watched from her front porch as her neighbors' house became a crime scene.

The first call to 911 came from the Pughs' home at 6:44 p.m. Saturday night. The caller hung up without speaking.

When dispatchers called back, a man answered the phone but denied having called 911. In the background, a woman could be heard saying, "Why do you want to kill me? I need help."

Just before 7 p.m., deputies responded to the home and reported hearing a gunshot. When 911 operators called the home again, the man answered. He agreed to come outside and speak with law enforcement, but never did so.

Deputies repeatedly tried to reach the man.

"Every 5 or 10 minutes, they’d blow the blow horn and announce their names ... asking them to come out if they can with their hands up," Mattes said.

Hours went by without a response from the Pughs. Around 11 p.m., deputies got a search warrant and entered the home. They found both people dead.

"It’s upsetting because you don’t really know what people are going through, in their life and in their family home," their neighbor, Mattes, said.

Both neighbor and cousin remembered the Pughs as close with family.

"They were family-oriented people," Mattes said. "They would have family get-togethers and holidays. The street would be lined up with family."

"Engaging with her family, especially her children and grandchildren, is what I will remember her for the most," Goings said.


If you're having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). For county-by-county help, the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a list of resources at nccadv.org.