Pregnant mother found dead in park next to critically injured son, coroner says

Authorities have charged an Asheville man with first-degree murder of an unborn child because that the woman whom he is accused of killing was pregnant. Police said Candace Pickens was found dead Thursday in an Asheville park. They said her 3-year-old son, Zachaeus Water, was found critically wounded nearby. Buncombe County Medical Examiner Dr. Harold Schutte said Pickens was pregnant, but more testing needs to be done to determine how far along she was in the pregnancy.Last week, police charged Nathaniel Elijah Dixon with murder, attempted murder and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. Police said they found Dixon in Columbus, Ohio. He was taken into custody there and is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina.Police said a jogger found the body of Pickens, 23, just after 6 a.m. Thursday at Jones Park near Ira B. Jones Elementary School.Her critically injured 3-year-old, Zachaeus, was found near his mother's body, according to Asheville police. A woman who lives near the park told WYFF News 4 that she heard five gunshots around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The neighbor said the body was found about 100 yards from her home. Immediately after she heard the shots, she heard a car speed past her house then make a 90-degree turn very fast, with tires screeching, she said.A man told WYFF News 4 that he was in the park around 2 a.m. Thursday and walked past the body but did not see or hear anything because it's a poorly lit area.

Authorities have charged an Asheville man with first-degree murder of an unborn child because that the woman whom he is accused of killing was pregnant.

Police said Candace Pickens was found dead Thursday in an Asheville park. They said her 3-year-old son, Zachaeus Water, was found critically wounded nearby.

Buncombe County Medical Examiner Dr. Harold Schutte said Pickens was pregnant, but more testing needs to be done to determine how far along she was in the pregnancy.

Last week, police charged Nathaniel Elijah Dixon with murder, attempted murder and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

Police said they found Dixon in Columbus, Ohio. He was taken into custody there and is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina.

Police said a jogger found the body of Pickens, 23, just after 6 a.m. Thursday at Jones Park near Ira B. Jones Elementary School.

Her critically injured 3-year-old, Zachaeus, was found near his mother's body, according to Asheville police.

A woman who lives near the park told WYFF News 4 that she heard five gunshots around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. The neighbor said the body was found about 100 yards from her home. Immediately after she heard the shots, she heard a car speed past her house then make a 90-degree turn very fast, with tires screeching, she said.

A man told WYFF News 4 that he was in the park around 2 a.m. Thursday and walked past the body but did not see or hear anything because it's a poorly lit area.



