HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Sam Antwan Ivey, 37, of Hendersonville, will spend up to 26 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, District Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced in a January 28 news release.
Ivey was sentenced on January 27 in Henderson County Superior Court, where he pled guilty to several charges, including second-degree murder, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a weapon on educational property. Superior Court Judge William Stetzer presided over the case.
The fatal incident occurred on October 9, 2023, at the McDonald’s on Four Seasons Boulevard, owned by Congressman Chuck Edwards. Court records reveal that Jaclyn Reed, 30, from Johnson City, Tennessee, was removed from the restaurant for an altercation with another patron. After being removed, she tried to re-enter the restaurant, where she was confronted by Ivey. Despite being unarmed, Reed was shot once in the upper chest by Ivey, who was carrying a semi-automatic pistol unlawfully due to his prior felony conviction.
Ivey fled the scene but was later apprehended in the car pickup line at Edneyville Elementary School. Deputies found Ivey in possession of the weapon used in the murder, as well as another pistol that had been altered to fire automatically.
Judge Stetzer sentenced Ivey to a minimum of 21 years (254 months) and a maximum of 26 years (317 months) in prison, where he will serve his term in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Van Buren led the prosecution, and Murray expressed gratitude to the Hendersonville Police Department’s Detective Lt. Alan Bonanno, as well as the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, for their thorough investigation and help in apprehending Ivey.
“We are committed to protecting our community from violent offenders,” Murray said.
