Jonathan Wayne Yancey was 33 when he was shot and killed inside his Crystal Lane home in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on the afternoon of March 21, 2024. Deputies from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office responded after a 911 call shortly before 1 p.m. and found Yancey mortally wounded from a single gunshot; first responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Family members said the shooting occurred in front of loved ones and that Yancey told a relative to call police as he lay dying.

Witnesses identified the shooter as 36-year-old Concord resident Cody Dewayne Helms, known by the nickname Batman. Investigators say an argument between Yancey and Helms inside the house escalated and Helms allegedly fired one shot, then fled; a Kannapolis officer located and arrested Helms about a mile away. Booking records list Helms on a murder charge and held without an initial bond pending court proceedings.

Yancey’s family described him as generous and outgoing, someone who enjoyed restoring tools, refinishing furniture, fishing, and spending evenings by a fire. The community has held tributes and fundraisers amid continuing grief. If anyone witnessed the events on Crystal Lane or has information that could help the ongoing case, please come forward.