On October 8, 2025, deputies responded around 6 p.m. to a home on Kreston Drive near the Madison County line after reports of a domestic disturbance and a gunshot. William Jennings Bryan Clay III, 55, was found dead at the scene in the Fairview area of Buncombe County.

Investigators described the incident as isolated and said there was no ongoing threat to the community. By the next day the sheriff’s office announced the use of deadly force had been determined to be in self-defense and in defense of others inside the home. Officials said investigative units processed the scene and reviewed the facts, and that no criminal charges would be filed in connection with Clay’s death; no arrests were announced and the person who fired the shot was not publicly identified.

If anyone has information about William Clay, the events at the Kreston Drive residence, or was in the area that evening, please share what you know.