Woman in custody for death of her husband
Published 8:30 pm Monday, January 2, 2023
- Rhonda Michelle Rankin-Evans
By Vicki Hyatt
Courtesy of the Mountaineer
MAGGIE VALLEY — A New Year’s Eve domestic dispute in a Maggie Valley motel ended the life of Wayne Stevenson Evans, 57, of Salisbury.
His wife, Rhonda Michelle Rankin-Evans, 47, also from Salisbury, is in custody and being held for murder at the Haywood County Detention Center, where she remains without bond.
Tanglewood Motel in Maggie Valley. Courtesy of The Mountaineer, Haywood County newspaper
Maggie Valley Police Chief Russ Gilliland said his department received a call at 7:35 p.m. on Dec. 31 to the Tanglewood Motel concerning a domestic situation.
Upon arrival, officers found Evans was non-responsive.
“The case is currently under investigation,” Gilland said, declining to reveal further details for now. “There is no danger to our community extending from this case.”
Gilliland said the family has been notified and officials are awaiting the results of an autopsy.
