Wife took out protective order against suspect in Wendell double homicide

Late Wednesday, authorities said, Nathan Holden went to the home of his wife's parents in eastern Wake County, killed his in-laws and seriously wounded his wife. Three children in the home, a 15-year-old boy and two 8-year-old girls, were unharmed.

Latonya Holden, 32, who was in critical condition Thursday at WakeMed in Raleigh, obtained a one-year protective order on Jan. 21, alleging that Nathan Holden had beaten her in the past, hit her son with a broom and told her brother that he planned to kill her, the children and himself.

She moved out of their home and into her parents' home, at 1125 Lake Glad Road near Wendell, but Nathan Holden repeatedly called her and harassed her, threatening to take the children, according to the affidavit attached to the protective order. Her father once called the police when Nathan Horton showed up at the house.

On Tuesday, the estranged couple scheduled a June 9 hearing to resolve child support and custody issues, according to court documents.

Authorities said that Nathan Holden went to the Lake Glad Road home at about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and opened fire on his in-laws.

Angelia Smith Taylor, 57, was found dead inside the home, and Sylvester Taylor, 66, was found dead in the yard, investigators said.

Latonya Holden and the children called 911 to report the shooting.

"When we arrived they were still on the 911 line," Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Thursday. "You could hear our deputies coming in the house, trying to console them."

Deputies later went to Nathan Holden's home, at 3535 Holden Acres Lane – about 10 miles away from the shooting scene – and used a K-9 unit to track Holden to a nearby field. According to investigators, Holden opened fire on the K-9 handler and other deputies before he was taken into custody at about 3 a.m.

"He was within 100, 150 feet of the house," Harrison said. "The dog picked the track up, and he was sort of lying in ambush. We never got a look at him. ... All they saw was the muzzle blast."

None of the deputies was injured in the incident.

"I'm so thankful none of my guys got hit and thankful he didn't get hit," Harrison said.

Nathan Holden, 31, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and was being held without bond in the Wake County jail. Investigators said other charges are pending.

The protective order noted that Nathan Holden owns a pistol, but Harrison said the judge who signed it didn't order his deputies to seize the gun.

"I tell everybody, when you take those orders out, it's only a piece of paper, and so it doesn't protect you. I mean, that piece of paper doesn't protect you," the sheriff said. "If he does anything to violate that order, then it gives us the authority to pick him up right then."

That didn't happen in this case.

"He's tore up lives of two different families, and these kids are going to have to live with it for the rest of their lives too. It's sad," Harrison said.

All three children are in the custody of Child Protective Services.