Alabama man allegedly forced a relative to drive him to North Carolina at gunpoint, and called a sheriff’s office there to say he’d shot his wife

A 22-year-old man identified as Mason Thomas Parnell is in custody after Winfield, Alabama, police said he shot and killed his wife. Parnell allegedly left the home with two children, and forced another family member at gunpoint to drive toward North Carolina, according to WBRC. His wife’s name has not been publicly released.

Winfield police said they were contacted at 4:34 a.m. Central Time on a Saturday about a possible homicide in the 600 block of Tahoe Road. The alert came from North Carolina, where the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office said one of its captains was reached at about 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The two times line up, as North Carolina is one hour ahead of Alabama.

Officers went to the home and found a woman dead from gunshot wounds in the kitchen, police said. The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office said Parnell spoke with one of its captains and allegedly admitted that he had killed his wife and fled Alabama with two children. None of those claims has been tested in court.

The sheriff says a captain trained in negotiation kept him talking while other agencies were alerted.

Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers later credited that conversation with helping officers locate the victim and protect the children, according to the sheriff’s office. The captain has crisis intervention and negotiation training, and reportedly passed information to other law enforcement agencies as the call continued with Parnell.

Police say Parnell did not drive himself north. He allegedly held another family member at gunpoint and forced that person to drive him and the two children from Alabama toward North Carolina. The relative eventually escaped and gave investigators what police described as a detailed account. Authorities have not identified the relative or said where the escape happened.

Parnell was ultimately located on Harrington Road in Fairmont, Robeson County, North Carolina, more than 550 miles from Winfield. Robeson County deputies took him into custody without incident. Both children were found safe and uninjured, and the relative who was forced to drive was also confirmed safe.

At least five agencies across two states worked the case, and police say the shooting appears to be an isolated incident with no known threat to the community. Another spouse’s death has drawn attention recently in Alaska, where police say a woman kept her husband in a chest freezer.

Parnell was first held in North Carolina without bond on a fugitive from justice charge. He appeared in Robeson County court on Monday and waived his right to an extradition hearing, meaning he is not contesting a return to Alabama. However, waiving extradition is not a plea to the underlying allegations, and Alabama authorities have not said what charges he will face.

Police have not disclosed what led to the shooting, when the woman was killed, what type of firearm was used, or whether either child saw the violence. However, the children’s ages and relationship to Parnell have not been confirmed, as authorities are protecting their identities and have released few details about them.

Court records show Parnell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor larceny in Robeson County in 2023, and nothing in the reporting ties that case to the shooting. Authorities also have not explained why he contacted a North Carolina sheriff’s office after allegedly leaving the scene.

As of Tuesday, Parnell is awaiting transfer back to Alabama, and the homicide investigation remains active. Formal Alabama charges and court dates could follow once he arrives, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.