Michael Ridgeway, brother of Deputy Killer Caitlyn Ridgeway Arrested for Onslow County Murder
ONLSOW COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA — This Ridgeway family stay in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The brother of Caitlyn Ridgeway—the same woman who made national news back in 2017 for killing her Onslow County deputy boyfriend—has now been arrested for murder himself.
Deputies with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office say 20-year-old Michael Aaron Ridgeway has been cuffed and charged in connection to the September shooting death of 39-year-old Steven Sanderford.
According to officials, deputies responded to 400 Ruddy Court in the South Creek Subdivision around September 9, 2025, after a 911 call came in about a possible assault. When they got there, they found Sanderford unresponsive with what looked like a head injury. But when doctors at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune checked him out, they realized it was a gunshot wound.
A GoFundMe created for Sanderford states that he was “murdered while he lay asleep in his bed.”
Sanderford was later flown to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, where he passed away three days later on September 12.
After weeks of digging, detectives say Ridgeway had been on their radar early as a “person of interest.” And after months of building a tight case, Ridgeway was arrested him on Monday morning November 10, 2025, in Marion, North Carolina.
The Sheriff’s Office flexed that this makes three homicides in 2025—and arrests in all three, thanks to their detectives working “tirelessly.”
Back in 2017, Caitlyn Ridgeway — the sister of this new murder-accused Michael Ridgeway — entered a saga that shook Onslow County. She was linked to the killing of former deputy Will Clifton, pleading an Alford plea (where she admits evidence was sufficient for conviction, but doesn’t admit guilt) on second-degree murder + robbery with a deadly weapon.
She got 25-32 years behind bars. Caitlyn was a minor at the time of her relationship with the ex-deputy, who himself was under investigation for possible misconduct with a minor.
Late Monday afternoon, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office said Michael had been transported from Marion and booked in the Onslow County Detention Center, where he’ll face his first court appearance Wednesday, November 12.
2 thoughts on “Brother Of Onslow County Deputy Killer Arrested For Murder”
You are right! This sheriff’s office seems to be up to something fishy. Perhaps they are framing Michael. Shame ion them.
“Caitlyn was a minor at the time …” So she was RAPED by this police officer, and she retaliated against the abuse by shooting him. She shouldn’t have done it, but you kind of understand WHY she would’ve done it, don’t you? 80%+ of women in prison are victims of sexual assault. We lock them up instead of providing treatment and support. It’s very sad. We need to do better for women in general as a society.