NC Man Charged With Killing Good Samaritan Who Tried To Stop An Assault In Chapel Hill

CHAPEL HILL, NC – A man from Moore County has been charged after a fatal assault that occurred near downtown Chapel Hill. Cody Ray Callahan, 19, of Carthage, was arrested on Wednesday and faces charges of voluntary manslaughter, simple assault, and false imprisonment, according to a news release from the Chapel Hill Police Department.

The incident took place on the evening of September 7, around 7:40 p.m., in the 300 block of East Rosemary Street, an area close to several UNC-Chapel Hill fraternities and sororities, just a block north of East Franklin Street and the university campus. Callahan allegedly assaulted 55-year-old Michael Jesse Griffin of Chapel Hill when Griffin attempted to intervene and stop Callahan from assaulting another man.

Griffin was transported to UNC Hospitals, where he succumbed to his injuries on September 13.

Callahan was taken into custody in Moore County and is currently being held at the Moore County Jail under a $500,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court in Orange County on October 7. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Michael Jesse Griffin, a native of Shelby, North Carolina, was a 1992 graduate of Western Carolina University. He had worked with Bank of America Mortgage and served as a volunteer firefighter in Pendleton, South Carolina, according to his obituary.

Anyone with information about the assault is encouraged to contact the Chapel Hill Police Department at 919-968-2760 during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday). Anonymous tips can also be provided to Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crimestoppers by calling 919-942-7515 or visiting chapelhillcrimestoppers.com.