CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man followed a woman into a north Charlotte QuikTrip gas station and killed her with a hammer, police say.
The brutal assault happened late Saturday night at the QuikTrip on Trailer Drive, which is just off North Graham Street and Interstate 85. Investigators say 47-year-old Glandina Dixon entered the store before going to the restroom. The suspect, 53-year-old Sam Roary, allegedly followed Dixon into the store and beat her with a hammer in the bathroom, police say.
Surveillance video shows Dixon entering the store. You then see a man identified as Roary following her inside. A few moments later, the man returned to his truck and grabbed a hammer. Surveillance video shows the man following Dixon into the women's bathroom where she was found dead.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police responded to a 911 call from someone inside one of the bathroom stalls around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 17. The witness said she heard a noise and left the staff. That's when she found Dixon bleeding from the back of her head with blood on the floor. Dixon was pronounced dead at the scene by Medic.
"That's actually kind of scary," one customer said. "Seeing that people can do that and there are those types of people."
Security video shows Roary was only in the bathroom for about 40 seconds before he was seen leaving the store, getting in his truck and driving off, according to police. Detectives confirmed that Roary and Dixon knew each other. It's still unclear what led up to the attack. Roary was arrested and charged with murder.
Dixon's family is heartbroken and simply wants to know why this happened. WCNC Charlotte spoke with Dixon's family on Tuesday but they declined an interview, saying they're not ready to talk.
Roary was also convicted of second degree murder in 1989, when he was 18. He was released in 1995, but is now behind bars again.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Witnesses can also call 704-432-TIPS to speak directly with homicide detectives.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you're ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.