LURAY, Va. — For more than three years, the families of Gregory Williams, Eunice Lam and Michael Lyles lived with the grief of their deaths and waited for the criminal case against the person responsible to reach its end. On Wednesday, it finally did.
On June 29, 2023, the Page County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a “man down” in the 5600 block of Jollett Road, near Elkton.
Firefighters, emergency medical personnel and law enforcement arrived and found 69-year-old Gregory Lee Williams dead on his property from an apparent gunshot wound.
The first person to find Williams was Steve Breeden, a friend and hunting companion.
Breeden later testified that Williams' all-terrain vehicle was still running and Williams' rifle remained strapped between the seats.
Investigators with the Page County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation began investigating Williams’ death as a homicide.
At the time, 56-year-old Timothy Thomas Comer had been living in a small trailer in the Jollett Road area, reportedly without electricity or running water.
His residence sat roughly 50 feet from where Williams’ body was found.
Near the body, investigators had recovered .45-caliber shell casings.
An autopsy later determined that Williams died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators later recovered a green-and-black .45-caliber handgun from the trailer where Comer had been.
Laboratory ballistics testing matched the shell casings to the handgun.
The Search for Comer
On June 30, 2023, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Shenandoah Police Department and Virginia State Police began a round-the-clock search for Comer, who was initially described as a person of interest in Williams’ death.
The search stretched across the remote and rugged terrain surrounding Jollett Hollow.
Law enforcement searched on foot while helicopters and drones were used to search from the air.
Shenandoah National Park temporarily closed trails in the area.
Reports at the time suggested Comer may have been using “a spider web” of trails and dense vegetation to avoid authorities, while other reports raised the possibility that friends or relatives were helping him.
As officers remained in the area day after day, rumors circulated through the small community and residents expressed concerns about their safety.
On July 5, the search for Comer intensified after a Page County grand jury indicted him on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, making him a wanted fugitive.
Two More Victims
The case took another turn on July 9, 2023, when a fire destroyed a residence on the same block of Jollett Road where Williams had been killed.
After the site of the fire cooled, investigators searching the debris discovered the remains of two people.
The remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manassas for autopsies and identification.
The victims were later identified as Eunice Lam and Michael Lyles.
Comer became a person of interest in the fire and the two deaths.
Federal Authorities Join Manhunt
The first 11 days of the search involved resources from law enforcement agencies in Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties, along with Virginia State Police.
Following the July 9 fire, the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force joined the search.
On July 11, authorities announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to Comer’s whereabouts.
Two days later, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the effort and added $7,500, bringing the total reward to $10,000.
Authorities received numerous tips throughout the search, but arrived at locations shortly after Comer had left.
That changed during the evening of July 13, 2023.
At about 6 p.m., the Page County Sheriff’s Office received information that Comer had been seen entering a vacant house in the 4000 block of Jollett Road.
Page and Rockingham County sheriff’s deputies were already nearby and arrived within minutes. Officers confirmed Comer was inside and established a perimeter.
Comer ignored repeated commands to surrender during a standoff that lasted more than three hours.
Authorities eventually deployed gas into the house to force Comer’s exit. A Virginia State Police tactical team took him into custody without incident.
Shortly afterward, the Page County Sheriff’s Office announced the end of the 15-day manhunt on Facebook with a single word:
“CAPTURED!”
Comer was initially charged with two counts of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony, and was charged in connection with Williams’ death.
Authorities continued investigating all three deaths.
Jailhouse Admissions
Information later relayed by someone who had been housed in the same jail as Comer provided a much more detailed account of what prosecutors believed happened.
Former inmate John McClure testified that Comer had admitted killing Lam and Lyles.
According to McClure, Comer said he used a .22-caliber rifle to shoot Lam in the head and then shot Lyles.
McClure testified that Comer told him the killings were retaliation for property being sold while Comer was previously incarcerated.
“She stole my property,” McClure testified Comer told him about Eunice.
McClure also testified that Comer said he surrounded the bodies with gasoline and burned the trailer over them because he believed police would never recover the weapon.
McClure also testified about statements Comer allegedly made concerning Williams’ killing.
According to the former inmate, Comer described arguing with Williams over property and said, “if I can’t have it, no one else can have it either.”
McClure said Comer told him he emptied his .45-caliber pistol while shooting Williams.
Details Comer provided to McClure — including the detail that Williams’ all-terrain vehicle had remained running — were consistent with evidence investigators found at the scene.
Murder and Arson Indictments
Nearly a year later, a Page County grand jury indicted Comer on seven felony charges stemming from the deaths of Gregory Williams, Eunice Lam and Michael Lyles.
The charges included first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated murder, three weapons offenses and arson.
The case was eventually scheduled for a three-week jury trial beginning Jan. 20, 2026.
That trial would never take place.
Comer Admits Killing All Three Victims
On December 17, 2025, Comer signed a plea agreement with prosecutors.
As family members of all three victims watched, Comer stood before Circuit Court Judge Clark A. Ritchie and answered the same way when asked for his plea to three individual counts of second-degree murder:
“Guilty.”
“Guilty.”
“Guilty.”
Under the plea deal, the original murder charges were reduced to second-degree murder and four other charges were nolle prosequi, meaning prosecutors would not pursue them.
As part of the plea process, Comer acknowledged that he was pleading guilty because he was “in fact guilty” of willfully and deliberately killing Williams, Lyles, and Lam.
The agreement eliminated the need for a three-week jury trial, sparing the victims’ families from having to endure additional emotional trauma.
Sentencing
On the morning of August 26, 2026, the families of Gregory Williams, Eunice Lam and Michael Lyles slowly filed into the Page County Circuit Court courtroom.
Some faces reflected grief, others anger. Nearly all showed the exhaustion of enduring a case that had stretched on for more than three years.
The day had finally come to learn the sentence for Timothy Comer — the man whose actions had changed their lives forever.
At 8:45 a.m., Comer, wearing a black-and-white striped jumpsuit, was escorted into the courtroom by several deputies.
Short and stout, hands and feet shackled, Comer wobbled his way to a table to speak with his attorney.
Occasionally smiling as they spoke, Comer showed little outward indication that he was facing the possibility of substantial prison time.
Four rows of courtroom seating were filled with victims’ families and their supporters.
Some wept silently. Others sat with arms crossed and jaws clenched, staring at Comer, who did not return their gaze.
The Honorable Clark A. Ritchie again presided over the proceedings. Comer was represented by attorneys Peter McDermott and A. Gene Hart Jr.
Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chapman Good led the prosecution, assisted by former Commonwealth’s Attorney Amanda Clymer.
Judge Ritchie said he had reviewed a presentence report and sentencing guidelines, which recommended a prison term of 18 to 31 years for the charges to which Comer had pleaded guilty.
In his opening remarks, Good expressed disappointment with the recommended sentencing range:
These are very heinous crimes committed by Mr. Comer.
An entire community was affected.
There needs to be a serious deviation of guidelines.
Comer, with his glasses perched atop his head, sat with his eyes closed, his face expressionless.
Former PCSO Investigator Kenneth Boyd was called to the stand.
Boyd, the lead investigator assigned to the case, recalled details of his early conversations with Eunice Lam.
Lam told Boyd that she had occasionally given Comer “a place to rest his head.”
On the witness stand, Boyd recalled the unlikely connection he had formed with the elderly woman.
The two had shared a birthday and a love of gardening.
The last time they spoke, Boyd promised to bring Eunice a home-grown tomato.
He never got the chance.
In court, after recalling the sight of Lam’s badly burned body, Boyd paused.
“I felt that I owed it to her to do the best job I could.”
‘We had a good life’
The next witness called to the stand was Gena Williams, Gregory’s widow.
Though she had obviously been crying, her expression brightened as she began to speak about her late husband.
We were married for 42 years, and we had a good life.
The morning of his death, we had looked out at the pond and talked about how we were blessed.
We both came up not having a lot, but we worked really hard and opportunities came our way.
We had kids. We had our health. We had security. We were blessed.
Williams went on to describe how active Gregory had been in the community.
He’d been a coach for several youth sports teams, president of the credit union, a rotary member, and was always busy helping others.
From handyman projects to farm work and mowing, Greg would try to help anyone who asked.
When her vision began to decline, Greg became Gena’s eyes. He drove her everywhere and even did the grocery shopping.
As Gena continued her statement, her smile faded as she began to describe what life has been like without her husband.
The youngest grandchild, born after Greg’s death, never had the chance to meet him. The oldest, who only has a vague memory of her grandfather, sometimes asks when the “Big Guy” is coming back.
Prior to Greg’s death, Comer would occasionally come to the Williams house to get a soda, or borrow sugar. Greg would also give Comer rides into town.
Gena had been friends with Eunice.
Sometimes they talked about their shared struggles of having vision problems. Sometimes they just “chatted about nothing.”
The hollow neighborhood was like a family.
Everyone looked out for each other.
Comer had robbed the community of peace and security.
Gena was permitted to directly address Comer in court.
In this world, there are takers and there are givers.
You are a taker.
You killed Greg, Eunice and Michael in cold blood.
You took the Sixth Commandment and you stepped all over it.
We have choices in life. And I choose to forgive you. Because God tells us that’s what we should do.
I hope the court gives you the longest sentence they can.
And after today, I don’t want to see or hear of you ever again.
Comer, slumped down in his chair, never raised his eyes to look at her.
‘It was a perfect world until he showed up’
Sam Lyles next took the stand.
Sam is Comer’s second cousin. Eunice was Sam’s mother. He lived just a few miles away and had spoken with or seen her nearly every day.
He recalled his mother’s caregiving nature and how she remained as involved in her community and church as she was able. And she was always feeding visitors — or, at the very least, insisting they eat something.
Remembering her cooking, and fighting back tears, Lyles said, “There were things she would cook that I’ll never taste again.”
He paused and then continued.
Sam told the court how his brother’s son, Michael, would help Eunice. And how he made a path to the creek for her.
She loved to walk and listen to the water run. Even when her vision failed her, she would remember the area in her mind.
Sam took the opportunity to directly address Comer:
Mom is sorely missed.
You murdered someone who couldn’t even see. You took someone who cannot be replaced.
She was nothing but good to you.
She took care of you when you should have been taking care of her.
You took a mom, a sister and a grandmother.
And Gena and Greg were a blessing to everyone there.
He looked toward family members and nodded toward an emotionless Comer.
“It was a perfect world until HE showed up.”
‘My best friend’
Amanda Lyles took the stand to speak about her brother, Michael, her twin.
She told the court how they’d been lifelong best friends and inseparable.
She recalled how Michael had “done everything he could” for Comer, including making sure Comer had food, cigarettes and rides into town.
Amanda recalled how Eunice “did everything” to make sure her kids knew God’s word. She had been an amazing cook. She loved jewelry. And church was her life.
Her voice quivering with emotion, Amanda spoke of Michael’s daughter, Adriana, who was just 12 when she lost her father.
And the unimaginable loss.
I struggle every day.
I wish I could find peace and forgiveness.
I do what I can to get through each day.
Greg was special to me because of everything he did for my grandmother.
And my favorite thing about him was his laugh. I miss that.
These people were so very special to the community — and it’s just not the same anymore.
Amanda’s tone strengthened as she directly addressed Comer, who had still not looked at anyone during the proceedings.
It’s really sad that you can’t raise your head and face people you hurt.
Michael loved you. But you destroyed us.
I hope you’re miserable. I hope people mistreat you.
I hope you stay awake at night worrying that something will happen to you.
YOU ARE A PIECE OF <expletive>!
An unexpected burst of applause erupted from family members.
Judge Ritchie calmly reminded everyone in the courtroom to maintain decorum.
‘Our Family is Lost’
Tabitha Breeden was the next person to take the stand.
She read a heartfelt statement from Michael’s daughter, and then added a brief statement of her own.
My family will never have a gathering again without being lost.
The murders of Eunice and Michael have destroyed us.
Michael had been Tabitha’s cousin.
‘Eunice Was The Community’
Fanning away tears, Betty Jo Shifflett was the final person to take the stand.
Today … brings it all back.
Eunice was amazing.
Greg was the mayor of the mountain and Eunice was … the administrator.
Quiet laughter could be heard as family members nodded their heads in agreement.
When Good asked Shifflett what Eunice’s role was in the community, she quickly replied, “Eunice WAS the community.”
Shifflett noted how Eunice would take care of Comer — even making sure he got a food box every month.
I didn’t like him.
I felt like he was evil.
But I didn’t realize HOW evil.
Shifflett recalled how Eunice always seemed to have a Bible verse to offer comfort, no matter the situation.
She read two Bible verses on behalf of Eunice.
John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Romans 12:19 - Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.
Chapman Good again rose to address the court.
He described the loss of Greg Williams as a loss felt throughout the community and reiterated his belief that the sentencing guidelines (of 18-31 years) were insufficient.
“Thirty years is not enough. We ask the court to deviate far upwards,” he said.
Comer slumped even farther in his chair, eyes closed and head tilted as if asleep.
Good continued.
The heinousness of these crimes is beyond reproach.
Murdering three people who spent their time caring for him.
Shooting a friend.
Then he walked into that house, shot two people, and set everything on fire.
These crimes deserve 120 years.
Speaking on behalf of Comer, McDermott made his statement so quietly that his remarks were barely audible to most of the courtroom.
The Sentence
The judge called a brief recess before leaving the room to consider Comer’s fate.
When he returned, he asked Comer to stand, and began to explain his decision to the defendant.
I have considered the pre-sentencing report and the sentencing guidelines — and reviewed twelve written victim impact statements.
This really comes down to givers and takers.
The victims were givers.
It’s clear that Mr. Williams was a man of tremendous generosity. He supported everyone in Jollett — including you.
Eunice was a tremendous woman. She was beloved by many because she loved so many — including you.
Michael was your friend, Mr. Comer. He extended to you friendship and support, and there was a consequence to that.
You are a taker. Selfish and unmotivated.
You took their food, effort and their time.
Outrageously, you also took their lives.
Comer, dwarfed by his attorneys, stared straight ahead and showed no visible emotion as the judge continued.
You executed an elderly blind woman who did nothing but support you.
And you murdered Michael.
Things you did not take: memories of these people, feelings of love and support — and the bravery of victim families.
It’s unfathomable the betrayal they’ve had to encounter.
Guidelines are a valuable tool. But they don’t take into account …
You weren’t horrified by your act of killing Williams. That’s obvious, because you continued to kill.
Your lack of reflection.
You are a tremendous danger to those around you.
Guidelines don’t take into account the vulnerability of your victims — or that you desecrated them.
They don’t take into account the loss felt by a young granddaughter, and how she is losing her memory of her grandfather.
You cannot be free. You will always be a danger.
And with that, Judge Ritchie sternly advised Comer of his sentence.
Murder in the second degree — forty years.
Murder in the second degree — forty years.
Murder in the second degree — forty years.
Each sentence will run consecutively.
No time suspended.
The courtroom’s silence was momentarily broken by a collective exhale from the victims’ families.
After more than three years of unimaginable grief, fear, court hearings and unanswered questions, the case that began with a gunshot in Jollett Hollow finally reached a conclusion.
Comer, whose actions left three people dead and families and a community forever changed, was escorted away to begin his sentence of 120 years.