Brandon Church, 21, was killed during a violent episode in McDowell County on the night of October 18 into the morning of October 19, 2014. Church and a companion, Clinton Mullins, had spent hours drinking with a group at Orchard Branch. The gathering unraveled, and later that night Church and Mullins were following a blue van in Church’s pickup when witnesses say Donald Bailey and Troy Justice returned to the truck and gunfire was heard. Church remained inside the pickup; investigators recovered a gunshot wound to his chest and later found his burned remains after the vehicle had been set on fire.

Five spent shell casings were recovered near the burned truck. Court testimony described heavy intoxication among those present, and multiple witnesses later identified Bailey as the shooter. Donald Bailey was convicted in 2016 of two counts of first-degree murder, third-degree arson and felony conspiracy and received consecutive life terms without parole; the case file states the convictions were affirmed on appeal in January 2018. What information can anyone who was there that night add about what led to the confrontation?