E.Z. Willis, 70, of Cherryville, North Carolina, was murdered on August 5, 1991, when an intruder attacked him and his wife, Sarah Willis, 67. The assailant used a tire iron and an axe handle; both E.Z. Willis and Sarah Willis were beaten to death. The killings were part of a series in which the same perpetrator targeted elderly couples in the area, including William Fred Davis, 68, and Margaret Davis, 67, just days earlier.

Phillip Lee Ingle was arrested for the murders, confessed, and was charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, burglary, and assault. His trial attracted significant attention; he was sentenced to death and later executed by lethal injection on September 22, 1995. The attacks profoundly affected the Cherryville community and prompted residents to take extra precautions.