Cade Addison Hyskell is charged with killing two neighbors inside a Cedar Grove Drive home.
LEXINGTON, N.C. — A 38-year-old Lexington man is charged with killing two neighbors Monday after prosecutors said the death of his pet bearded dragon led him to break into their Cedar Grove Drive home.
Cade Addison Hyskell faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree burglary in the deaths of Susie Kiger, 51, and Joshua Purvis, 40. Both victims lived at the home where deputies found them dead after a 911 call reported that someone had broken in and killed two people.
Davidson County deputies were sent to the Cedar Grove Drive area at about 7:47 a.m. Monday. When they arrived, they found Hyskell in a neighboring yard. Authorities said he refused lawful commands and was first arrested on a charge of resisting a public officer. Deputies then checked the nearby home after finding its exterior doors unsecured. Inside, they found Kiger and Purvis dead. Prosecutors later said the killings followed Hyskell’s belief that someone had killed his pet bearded dragon.
In court, prosecutors said Hyskell told family members he planned to find the “13 culprits” he believed were responsible for the reptile’s death. Officials have not said how the bearded dragon died, whether anyone else was involved in the animal’s death or why Hyskell believed Kiger and Purvis were connected to it. The victims were identified as residents of the home. Investigators have not released a detailed account of what happened inside before deputies arrived.
The case moved quickly from a welfare check to a homicide investigation. Detectives determined there was enough evidence to charge Hyskell with two murder counts and burglary. The first-degree burglary charge points to the allegation that he unlawfully entered the home before the killings. The resisting charge came from the first contact deputies reported having with him outside the home.
Hyskell made his first court appearance Tuesday in Davidson County District Court. Prosecutors described the case as a double homicide tied to the dead pet. Reports from the hearing said Hyskell was emotional and disruptive as the charges were read. He remains held without bond on the murder charges. His next court date is scheduled for July 14.
The deaths have shaken the Cedar Grove Drive area, a residential stretch near Lexington where deputies and crime scene investigators worked after the call. Officials have not announced additional suspects. The investigation remains active as prosecutors prepare the case for its next hearing.
Author note: Last updated July 1, 2026.