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THE UNSOLVED MURDER
OF MATT STEWART
Matthew Ryan Stewart was a 31 year old husband and father of three. Born & raised in Mooresville, NC, Matt was a graduate of both Mooresville High School & Mitchell Community College. In his adulthood Matt worked as a nurse at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, where he was highly regarded for his bright spirit, diligent work ethic, and lighthearted antics. Matt was also a prominent member of his church, Riverlife Fellowship, where he volunteered with youth ministries.
Around 40 minutes after midnight on June 9th, 2009, an intruder entered the Stewart's home in the Gabriel Estates subdivision in Mooresville, NC. According to the official incident report, the intruder walked into the master bedroom, and began opening fire on Matt & his wife, Angel, as they slept beside their one-year-old son.
Matt's wife was shot in the wrist, but ultimately escaped with their son, running across the street to a neighbor's house to call 911.
The official 911 Call Log indicates that 2 Mooresville Police squad cars arrived at the scene at 12:49am, although the same log also shows that law enforcement did not enter the Stewart’s home until after 2:30am, over one hundred minutes after arriving, allegedly, due to fear of a hostage situation.
Upon entering the home, officers found Matt Stewart dead in the master bathroom, having been shot and stabbed multiple times. The official Medical Examiner's report suggests 2 different caliber bullets were used in the slaying (both 40 & 38 cal).
Moments later, Stewart’s 3 year-old daughter was found sleeping in the next room, unharmed. According to numerous accounts, the 3 year old slept through the entire incident, as did both sets of next door neighbors.
Reportedly, there was no sign of forced entry or valuables taken. The NC State Bureau of Investigation arrived at the scene that day and have maintained an open investigation on this case, along with Mooresville Police Department.
Later that year, police released a facial composite sketch of Matt’s attacker. A sizable reward was offered to the public from the family, law enforcement, and the governor's office, in exchange for information that could lead to the capture of Matt’s killer.
In the ensuing weeks, speculation began to build around the potential connection between Matt's murder and Gaffney, SC spree killer, Patrick Tracy Burris. Burris had been released from prison in a neighboring county just days before Matt's killing on June 9th, 2009. Burris was caught and ultimately killed in a firefight with local police on July 5th in Dallas, NC, 30 miles Southwest of Mooresville. However, in July 2009, Mooresville Police announced their conclusion that Patrick Tracy Burris was not connected to Matt's murder. Burris's confirmed killings all took place, seemingly at random, in and around Gaffney, SC between June 27th and July 2nd.
In 2016, Stewart’s widow gave a brief account of her experience in a Youtube video entitled Angel’s Story:
After over a decade, police have yet to name a suspect or give any indication that progress has been made in the investigation. In the media, the Matt Stewart's murder virtually disappeared in the months following the incident, only resurfacing in 2018 with the release of a documentary podcast series.
UNFORGOTTEN : The Unsolved Murder of Matt Stewart, began releasing monthly, half hour episodes, beginning on June 9th, 2018, the nine year anniversary of Matt’s murder, and has garnered over half a million downloads!
The podcast series reexamines the bizarre facts of the case, broadcasting first hand interviews from Matt’s friends, family, and neighbors. The podcast aims to catapult the unsolved murder back into the public spotlight and generate additional information for the investigation.
To closely examine the autopsy, the series enlists the help of nationally renowned experts; forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Carol Lieberman, forensic pathologist, Dr. Judy Melinek, and former-FBI Criminal Profiler, Mark Safarik.
Direct any inquires to Freddie @ UnforgottenPod@gmail.com
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