A postal worker in rural North Carolina was murdered on her route, leaving her two daughters orphaned months after their father died in a car crash. Brandi Reynolds, a United States Postal Service employee, was working her route in Hays on Friday when she was allegedly kidnapped and fatally shot by William Craig Durham.
Deputies responded to the scene around 4:16 p.m. after a witness reported seeing an armed man in a gray Nissan Altima threatening Reynolds, followed by multiple gunshots, according to the Wilkes Record. Reynolds was found dead by deputies upon their arrival. Durham, 56, was taken into custody and faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. He is accused of restraining Reynolds before she was killed.
During a court appearance on Monday, a family member of Reynolds told the judge that Durham had allegedly threatened her and broken into her home in the past. The family member requested that bond be denied due to concerns for Reynolds' two daughters, a request the judge granted.
Reynolds and her daughters had already experienced a significant tragedy earlier in the year when her husband, Brent, died in a single-vehicle crash two days before Christmas. Investigators determined that the 35-year-old was not wearing his seatbelt when his truck veered off the road, struck a tree, and overturned in Wilkes County on December 23, 2025. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following her husband's death, Reynolds shared photos of her daughters on Facebook in February, expressing their importance in her life. Residents in the community where Reynolds worked as a mail carrier have expressed shock and sadness over her death. Julie Smith, a resident on Reynolds' route, described the victim as outgoing, friendly, and punctual, stating she could always count on her. The murder is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.