Jane Grigsby McKinley, 73, was shot and killed in her home on Tazewell Avenue in Cape Charles, Virginia, on February 24, 2024. A longtime Master Gardener and owner of a landscape design company, McKinley was described as a respected, active member of the community whose unexpected death deeply affected neighbors and friends.

Police responded to a report of shots fired at 5:03 p.m. and took a suspect into custody minutes later. The individual arrested was her 25-year-old grandson, Anthony David Mercado, who had been living with her. According to court records, Mercado admitted to shooting McKinley multiple times as she was stepping away from him and initially told the responding officer he had just shot someone who had entered his house. He was charged with second-degree murder, reckless handling of a firearm, and malicious discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling; additional drug-related charges were later added. In July 2024 a Northampton Grand Jury indicted Mercado on first-degree murder.

The defense has said Mercado didn’t recognize his grandmother when she entered his bedroom and believed he was about to be beaten. The community is still grappling with the loss of a well-known local figure. If anyone knew Jane or has information about the night of February 24, 2024, please come forward.