Chadwick Seagraves, the embattled NC State IT administrator at the center of a student protest last January, has died, possibly by suicide. Although the medical examiner has not released the autopsy yet, The Free Pack traveled to Johnston County and interviewed eyewitnesses who attest a single gunshot rang out from Seagrave’s residence moments before his house burst into flame. Seagraves was 47, and he is survived by his wife and young daughter.
Seagraves had been employed at NC State in the Office of Information and Technology (OIT). In November 2020, he had become embroiled in controversy at the university after allegedly “doxxing” nearly 1,400 members of Antifa and other left-wing groups from Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina using publicly available information. In retaliation, left-wing groups doxxed Seagraves. A student protest demanded Seagraves be fired, however, a university investigation “did not substantiate any significant accusations” against the IT professional. Seagraves “did not have access to the protected personal information of any NC State student or any staff members other than those supervised by the employee”, and he denied belonging to any white supremacist organizations.
Seagraves’ troubles were not limited to calls for his resignation. The Free Pack has spoken with neighbors who attest Seagraves’ current residence, at least a 30 minute drive from the university, was vandalized with graffiti multiple times in the last year. Additionally, in a case of mistaken identity, vandals spray-painted slurs and violent threats on the house and car at a property Seagraves used to own, including the phrase “Die Cracker”.
On January 7th, at approximately 5:15 PM, an altercation occurred between Seagraves and a man visiting one of the neighbors. The visitor was able to pull his car up the driveway, enter his host’s house, and call 911.
Seagraves returned inside his house, and police arrived around 6:00 or 6:15 PM. Police were on scene for about 15 minutes before, according to a firsthand witness, a single shot rang out from inside the house around 6:30. A fire broke out inside the house almost immediately after. (At the time of publication it is unclear how the fire started.) Seagrave’s body was recovered from the scene after the fire had been contained.
Neighbors expressed shock at the events from last Friday, noting, “[We] never had any problems with Seagraves since he moved to the neighborhood [around April 2020].” The neighbors The Free Pack talked with strongly disputed media portrayals of Seagraves as a racist or bigot. “He hired minorities… he was friends with minorities.” Neighbors described Seagraves as having a “bubbly” and “sweet” personality that was incongruent with the events of January 7th. “The attacks from the media weighed heavily on him” one neighbor reflected.
It is unclear what prompted the altercation last Friday. Neighbors denied any bad relations with Seagraves nor any argument with the visitor preceding the confrontation.
