Editor’s Note: This story has been updated on Wednesday, January 10 after the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office filed additional charges in this investigation.
Just more than a day after the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office launched a death investigation into a body found along NC 902, two residents are facing murder charges in connection to the death.
Releases from the sheriff’s office on Tuesday and Wednesday said a pair of Bear Creek residents with the same address face charges stemming from the death of Michelle Nichole Jenks. The initial release said 39-year-old Terrie Fields faces one count second-degree murder and one count of felony possession of a firearm by a felon, while 37-year-old Corey Rives faces one count of felony accessory after the fact.
Wednesday’s release, however, increased the amount and severity of the charges. Fields is also charged with one count of felony first-degree murder, one count of felony kidnapping, one count of felony possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of felony possession of methamphetamine, and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Rives now faces one count of felony first-degree murder, one count of felony possession of methamphetamine, one count of felony maintaining a dwelling for controlled substance, one count of misdemeanor simple possession of Schedule III controlled substance, one count of misdemeanor carrying a concealed gun, and one count of misdemeanor possession of marijuana up to half an ounce.
With the new charges, both Fields and Rives are being held without bond at the detention center.
Terrie Fields, 39, and Corey Rives, 37. (Photo via the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.)
Chatham County sheriff deputies responded to a report in the 7700 block of NC 902 “concerning the well-being of a person found on the road” shortly around 2:40 a.m. The unconscious woman, identified as Jenks, was transported to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and later pronounced dead.
Jenks, who had a Siler City address, was 33 years old. The sheriff’s office has not yet publicly described any injuries she sustained or a cause of death, and the release was its first mention that Jenks’ death was a homicide.
Both Fields and Rives are scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on January 29.
The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believe there is no broader threat to the public’s safety, but the investigation into Jenks’ homicide is ongoing. Tuesday’s release encouraged anyone with information that could be relevant to the case to contact the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office at 919-542-2911.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
