According to the Fayetteville Police Department, officers were called out around 1:05 p.m. on May 12, 2024, to the 1800 block of Edgecombe Avenue after someone reported an assault in progress. When officers and EMS arrived, they found a horrific scene.
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Investigators say 79-year-old William Elliott was discovered unconscious in the driveway, suffering extreme trauma to his face and head. Inside the home, officers located his wife, 79-year-old Yvonne Elliott, also severely beaten.
Both victims were rushed to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Yvonne was later transferred to UNC for advanced treatment. William, however, was placed in a coma due to the extent of his injuries.
THE SUSPECT: THEIR OWN GRANDSON
Detectives with FPD’s Aggravated Assault Unit quickly took over, identifying the attacker as the couple’s grandson — 29-year-old Devin Wynn of Fayetteville.
Wynn lived at the residence at the time of the assault.
He was arrested and initially charged with:
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(2) Attempted First-Degree Murder
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(2) Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury
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(2) Assault by Strangulation
Wynn was booked into the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $200,000 secured bond.
GRANDFATHER DIES AFTER 5 MONTHS IN COMA
On October 5, 2024, after spending five months in a coma, William Elliott passed away. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled his death a homicide, citing complications from blunt-force trauma suffered during the assault.
On November 18, 2025, detectives upgraded Wynn’s charges. While still housed in the Cumberland County Detention Center, Wynn was formally charged with First-Degree Murder in connection to his grandfather’s death.
He is now being held without bond on the new murder charge.
