The postal worker who was kidnapped and murdered on her mail route in Hays, North Carolina, had previously been convicted of drug offenses, according to court records. Brandi Reynolds, 35, and her husband, Brent Reynolds, who died in a car crash months before her murder, were both convicted in 2022 for operating a drug ring from their rural Wilkes County home.
Court documents indicated that the Reynolds' home was used for "keeping and selling controlled substances," including marijuana and fentanyl. Brandi Reynolds faced charges of trafficking opium or heroin and conspiring with her husband to sell marijuana. Investigators found drug paraphernalia, including scales and packaging materials, at the residence.
Both individuals were convicted. Brandi Reynolds received a sentence of 30 months of supervised probation in May 2023, while Brent Reynolds was sentenced to 36 months. Brent Reynolds died in a single-vehicle accident two days before Christmas in 2025, while still serving his sentence. He was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt when his truck veered off the road and struck a tree.
Brandi Reynolds was working her mail route on Friday when she was kidnapped and shot dead. A witness alerted authorities, reporting an armed man in a gray Nissan Altima threatening Reynolds, followed by multiple gunshots. Deputies arriving at the scene found Reynolds deceased.
William Craig Durham, 56, has been taken into custody and is accused of kidnapping and murdering Reynolds. A family member of Reynolds stated during Durham's court appearance that he had previously threatened her and broken into her home, though investigators have not confirmed a prior relationship between them. Durham has a criminal history that includes convictions for assault, escaping jail, intimidating a witness, kidnapping, and robbery.
As a result of the tragedies, the Reynolds' two daughters are now orphans.