Friends, family of murder victim attend hearing
Travis McGraw, the suspect in the murder of his wife, Vanessa Mintz, asked for a court-appointed attorney this week during Polk County Superior Court.
McGraw has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mintz, who was found shot to death on Feb. 19, 2011 at the Saluda Mountain Lodge.
Mintz was working at the lodge that morning. Her family owned the lodge at the time of her murder.
McGraw, who was 44 at the time of his arrest, appeared in superior court Monday, July 25 with Judge Mark Powell presiding. Powell referred McGraw’s request to Indigent Defense Services, which will assign McGraw an attorney.
A few friends and family of Mintz’s attended Monday’s hearing in support of the murder victim. They were wearing buttons with Mintz’s picture and ribbons in honor of her memory.
A grand jury scheduled to meet this week could consider whether to issue an indictment for murder on McGraw, according to court officials.
McGraw was arrested on Feb. 23, and a judge found probable cause to issue first-degree murder charges on March 9. Investigators said they found a bullet in McGraw’s truck that matched the bullet that killed Mintz.
McGraw is being held at the N.C. Department of Corrections on no bond.