A planned online marketplace transaction ended in the fatal shooting of 67-year-old Kathryn Garton Holmes in Greensboro, North Carolina. The incident, which occurred on May 24, 2024, led to the arrest of 31-year-old Troy Marquise Gillard, who faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
Holmes, a retired police and fire communications center supervisor from Coral Gables, Florida, had arranged to meet Gillard for a sale through an online marketplace. The specific item intended for purchase has not been disclosed by authorities. As Holmes was driving to the location on Denny Road, she was ambushed and shot in the neck. The bullet left her paralyzed, causing her to lose control of her 2022 Volkswagen Taos SUV and crash into a ditch.
Emergency responders arrived to find Holmes’ vehicle in a ditch, with her suffering from a critical gunshot wound. She was taken to a hospital but died from her injuries two days later.
During the encounter, court documents revealed that Gillard stole Holmes’ engagement ring and wedding band, valued at $10,515. Gillard, who has a previous conviction for first-degree felony carjacking in 2016, was identified as a suspect soon after the incident.
A tip about a suspicious individual entering an empty house close to the crime scene directed investigators to Gillard, who was linked to the residence through family ties. The Violent Criminal Apprehension Team from the Greensboro Police Department, aided by the Winston-Salem Police Department, apprehended Gillard on June 5, 2024.
Gillard faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm into occupied property, possession of a firearm by a felon, and being a fugitive from justice. He is being held in the Guilford County Jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 1, 2024. If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence without parole or the death penalty.
Holmes’ daughter expressed the family’s grief and mixed emotions regarding the arrest. “My mother was looking forward to being the mother of the bride at my wedding this November. Her loss devastated our family,” she shared with WGHP Fox 8.
The Greensboro Police Department has issued a reminder about the risks associated with online marketplace transactions, advising the public to use well-lit public places or designated safe exchange spots such as police station parking lots.