Deputies say the suspect fled the scene and was arrested hours later in Ohio.
VASS, NC — A 25-year-old man from Ohio has been charged with murder after deputies say he broke into a home in central North Carolina on Valentine’s Day morning and fatally shot his ex-girlfriend and a U.S. Army soldier who was with her.
Investigators say the suspect, Caleb Fosnaugh of Coshocton, Ohio, was taken into custody the same afternoon during a traffic stop hundreds of miles away. The killings, reported in a quiet neighborhood outside Fayetteville, have drawn attention because the woman had moved to the United States after fleeing war in Ukraine and because the male victim was stationed at Fort Bragg. Authorities have not publicly released a motive, and the case is now moving into the early stages of court proceedings that could include extradition back to North Carolina.
Deputies in Moore County were called to a residence on Daphne Lane in the Woodlake community around 7:45 a.m. Sat., Feb. 14, after a report of a shooting. First responders found two people dead inside the home, authorities said. The victims were identified as 21-year-old Kateryna Tovmash and 28-year-old Matthew Wade, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg. Investigators said Fosnaugh left the scene before law enforcement arrived. Later that day, Ohio troopers stopped him during a traffic stop and arrested him in Linton Township in Coshocton County, authorities said.
Fosnaugh is charged with two counts of murder and one count of breaking and entering, according to sheriff’s offices in North Carolina and Ohio. Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields called the deaths “a tragic and senseless loss of life” in a public statement announcing the arrest and charges. Investigators said Fosnaugh and Tovmash had previously been in a relationship in Ohio. Authorities have not said what led up to the shooting or what evidence they have gathered inside the home, and they have not described the weapon used. Deputies said they are still working to “fully determine the circumstances” of what happened.
Friends and relatives described Tovmash as a young woman who had been trying to rebuild her life after leaving Ukraine with her family. Kirill Pryshchepchuk, who said he grew up with her, told a local TV station that she came to the United States to escape the danger of war. “That was not supposed to happen,” he said in an interview recalling the news of her death. Others close to the victims focused on the speed of the attack. Wade’s sister, Megan, wrote on social media that Fosnaugh drove for hours from Ohio, broke into the home while Tovmash was caring for younger siblings, and forced one of them to wake her before the shooting.
Wade was originally from Mississippi and was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, authorities said. Officials have not detailed his military role, and they have not said whether he lived at the home full time. The sheriff’s office has described the location as Tovmash’s home, and one report said it was her mother’s home. Investigators also have not released information about who else may have been in the residence at the time beyond references by family members to younger siblings. Authorities have urged patience as detectives interview witnesses, collect records, and coordinate across state lines after the suspect’s arrest in Ohio.
With Fosnaugh being held in an Ohio jail, the next major step is expected to be court hearings tied to extradition and the transfer of the case back to North Carolina. Officials have said he remained in custody in Coshocton County as of Mon., Feb. 16, and a WRAL report said he was being held without bond in Ohio while awaiting a judge. It was not immediately clear when he would be brought back to North Carolina to face the charges. Once he returns, the case would typically move through initial appearance and bond hearings in Moore County, followed by decisions from prosecutors on whether to seek indictments, add charges, or pursue the death penalty or life sentences under state law.
Neighbors and friends have responded with grief and fundraising. A GoFundMe was created to help cover Tovmash’s funeral expenses, and organizers said donations were also intended to support her family. By the morning of Feb. 16, the fundraiser had raised more than $10,000, according to one report. The killings also brought renewed attention to a separate, earlier case involving a Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina: Iryna Zarutska, 23, was killed on a Charlotte light rail train in August 2025, and a suspect in that case was charged with first-degree murder. In Woodlake, the focus has remained on the two families as investigators piece together the final hours before the shooting.
As of Tuesday, Fosnaugh remained jailed in Ohio while Moore County investigators continued to review evidence and interview witnesses. Authorities said the investigation is active, and the next expected milestone is an Ohio court proceeding that could set the timeline for his return to North Carolina.
Author note: Last updated February 17, 2026.