Karen Cates, a 41-year-old White/Caucasian woman, was killed at her home on Terri Lane in Galax, Virginia, on March 20, 2016. He later returned, forced his way inside at gunpoint and shot Karen and a man named David Patton who was at the residence.

Patton survived and was treated at Twin County Hospital before being released. Karen was transferred to Wake Forest University Medical Center, where she died of her injuries. The suspect led deputies on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash in Alleghany County, North Carolina, and was taken into custody. Charges filed in Grayson County included first-degree murder for Karen’s death and related counts for the assault on Patton.

Are there details about Karen’s life in Galax or the events that night that anyone can add?