Third person, 8-year-old girl, dies after shooting

Monday, November 21, 2011
(Updated 3:57 pm)
Staff Reports

GREENSBORO — An 8-year-old girl became the third person to die following Sunday's shootings.

Hannaleigh Michelle Suttles was pronounced dead at approximately 10:30 a.m. Monday, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators say a 36-year-old woman — Hannaleigh's aunt — wounded six people, including two people who died, and then killed herself Sunday.

Court records reveal a complicated history with one of the victims — a man with whom she supposedly had an affair — and his wife.

Mary Ann Holder, who lived at 923 Cocoa Drive just outside the city limits, acted alone in the shootings, Sheriff BJ Barnes said today. The second person killed, Robert Dylan Smith, 18, was Holder's eldest son. Hanaleigh Michelle Suttles, 8, Holder's niece, died Monday at Moses Cone Hospital.

Three of the four wounded included Holder's younger son,nephew and the girlfriend of Dylan Smith. All were shot in the head. All are younger than 17.

The seventh victim, Randal Scott "Randy" Lamb, 40, is Holder's former boyfriend. He is in stable condition after being shot twice in one arm.

Court filings reveal details of the complicated relationship between Holder, Lamb, and his wife, Jennifer Swann Lamb.

In February, Jennifer Lamb filed a temporary restraining order against Holder, saying Holder began an affair with her husband in February 2008. Jennifer Lamb claimed Holder thwarted the Lambs’ attempts to reconcile by repeatedly calling, emailing and texting Jennifer Lamb

Jennifer Lamb said in the filing that: “Mary Ann Holder had an affair with my husband beginning in approx. (sic) Feb. 08. Since this time my husband and (sic) have tried to work out for differences and mend our marriage. However, Ms. Holder continues to call cell phones belonging to me, also called my home, sent text messages and email, including naked pictures of herself and follow me and my children.

“If we go to the mall she shows up, movies and stores. She also moved her son to my son’s school to be near my family and recently she tried to run me off the road and follow me down Elm Street.”

The case was later dismissed because neither woman appeared for trial.

In July, Holder was granted a temporary restraining order against Jennifer Lamb. Holder claimed Jennifer Lamb made numerous phone calls to her.

Holder also received a temporary restraining order against Randal Lamb in July. At the time the complaint was filed, Holder claimed he had driven by her house more than 10 times since June 25, called more than 100 times and made threats.

Holder said Randal and Jennifer Lamb had contacted Holder’s family members, and that Randal Lamb “threatened to come by anytime he wants."

Holder’s restraining orders against the Lambs expired July 11.

Holder had been working at the local Avery Dennison office on Summit Avenue since June 2010, said company spokeswoman Jeanne Romano.

Romano said Holder was hired through a temp agency and worked in the sales office doing administrative support.

“Avery Dennison is incredibly saddened by this tragic event, and our sympathy goes out to the victims and their families,” Romano said.

The three other survivors of Sunday's shooting are being treated at Moses Cone Hospital. The sheriff's office identified them today as:

• Zachary Lee Smith, 14, Holder's younger son. He is in critical condition.

• Richard Brian "Ricky' Suttles, 17, Holder's nephew. He is in critical condition. Ricky and Hanaleigh Suttles, his sister, were living at the Cocoa Drive house after Holder's sister-in-law died in March.

• Makayla Lee Woods, 15. She is a sophomore at Southeast High School and was Dylan’s girlfriend. She is in critical condition.

In the restraining orders she filed against the Lambs, Holder listed the names of children living in her house — including the four injured or killed in the shooting. The order also lists to other children living in her home who were not injured Sunday: Christina N. Smith and Shianne R. Suttles. It’s unclear where those children are today.

At a news conference Monday, Barnes said that it appears Lamb and Holder had had an affair, but the relationship had ended at some point in the past. The sheriff said Holder had filed restraining orders, since expired, against Lamb and his wife. The sheriff said an alienation of affection suit had been filed against Holder, but a search of Guilford County court records Monday turned up no lawsuit.

"It was a strange relationship, to say the least," Barnes said.

The sheriff said detectives have recovered two handguns used in the shootings as well as two notes in which Holder takes responsibility for the shootings, apologizes for her actions and implies that she had been somehow wronged. Barnes said the notes shed little light on the motives for shooting herself and six other people.

Barnes said Holder acted alone and that detectives believe that no other people took part in the shooting.

The sheriff gave this account of Sunday's events:

8:52 a.m.: Mary Ann Holder and Randy Lamb arrive at the parking lot of GTCC's Aviation Center at 260 Regional Road. Barnes said investigators believe the meeting was arranged and are trying to confirm that through phone and computer records. Neither Holder or Lamb have any connection to GTCC, but Lamb works nearby at Regional Auto Center on Regional Road. Sometime after the two meet, Holder shoots Lamb.

8:55 a.m.: Randy Lamb drives away from GTCC. A minute later, Holder drives off.

9:08 a.m.: Metro 911 dispatchers get a call from Jennifer Lamb, Randy's wife, who says her husband has been shot twice and that he is driving home to 5801 Harvest Springs Drive in southern Guilford County. Randy Lamb arrives home and tells the 911 dispatcher that he had been shot in a shoulder and elbow. He identifies Holder as the person who shot her and tells the dispatcher where she lives and the vehicle she is driving.

9:14 a.m.: Randy Lamb arrives home. Deputies arrive four minutes later.

9:22 a.m.: Deputies go to 923 Cocoa Drive to look for Holder. About that same time, Holder called a friend where son Zach spent the night and arranges to pick him up. Holder used Makayla Woods' cell phone to make the call.

9:44 a.m.: Zach sends a thank-you text to someone at the home where he spent the night.

10:11 a.m.: A sheriff's deputy sees Holder's black Ford Explorer SUV parked on Remora Road. As he turns his car around to investigate, he sees a puff of smoke coming from the vehicle. The deputy finds Zach wounded in the back seat and Holder dead behind the wheel.

At this point, the deputies waiting near Holder's Cocoa Drive home for her to return home enter the house and find four people inside.

Barnes said the four were shot sometime Sunday, but it is unclear exactly when it happened. No 911 call came from the house.

"This is probably one of the worst situations I've seen in over 30 years in law enforcement," Barnes said.

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