The investigation into the death of Julia Holland, 49, of Candler, the Uber driver whose body was found in the early morning hours of the new year, continues even as a grand jury indicted a mother and son for the killing.
A grand jury on Monday indicted Noah Journey McKinnley Bolden, 26, of Canton, for first-degree murder and Jeanie Bolden, 57, of Canton, for accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.
Uber released this statement Wednesday:
We are thoroughly saddened by this senseless tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones during this difficult time. We’ve been in touch with law enforcement on their investigation and are standing by to continue to assist them however we can.”
Uber also provided more details about the case, saying it has no records of Noah Bolden or Jeanie Bolden using the Uber app to take a trip on the night of Holland's death. Also, on the night of her death, none of Holland’s trips aligned with the details authorities have released.
According to Uber, Holland’s last trip of the night ended without incident and she went offline shortly after.
Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke discussed the case with News 13 on Wednesday.
“The biggest thing for us as an agency is to make sure we’re shepherding the family through this because nothing we can do can bring her back,” Wilke said.
Wilke said there were a lot of complexities in this investigation and officers have put a great deal of effort into uncovering every possible detail. He said they’ve followed every lead to ensure that no stone is left unturned in terms of finding out anything they can about what happened to Holland.
Wilke acknowledged he was being vague about the investigation. He said didn't want to give any information that could be misleading or jeopardize the case.
“I can tell you she was an Uber driver, and her car was recovered at the home where we executed the search warrant,” the sheriff said.
When asked if Holland’s body was also recovered at the residence, Wilke said that he couldn’t comment on that.
When asked about the relationship between Holland and the suspects, Wilke said officers were still investigating.
Wilke did say that Noah Bolden does have a previous criminal record but wouldn’t go into specifics as they’re still investigating if his previous history relates to the current history.
Now that both suspects have been served with indictments, Sheriff Wilke said they’re waiting on the next step in the court process which will be up to the District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff Wilke said that an important aspect as well is not forgetting that they’re humans too, not just law enforcement. “It’s not just a job we do or something that we look at and work through a process, it's an investment of our talents, of our skills, the things God has given us to use in seeking justice,” he expressed.
He added that they’re committed to seeing this investigation result in conviction as they’ve been doing everything in their power to make sure that every piece of evidence is uncovered.
When investigating a case Sheriff Wilke said that they look into four things: the who, when, where and how.
He said the “why” is not relevant to the facts that they are putting together.
He expressed the importance of the “why” serves to the family and the victim themselves but at this time they can’t release a motive.
“You asked about the why and I’ll go a little further and I’ll tell you there really is no 'why', it’s evil and there’s no explanation for evil,” he expressed.
Sheriff Wilke said the key is that when they go to court there’s no question about what happened.
Sheriff Wilke has been serving for 59 days as of Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2023, and said he never expected the beginning of his time in office to look like this.