Man accused of killing his father in Indian Trail home, deputies say

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — A man is accused of killing his father in the family’s Union County home, the sheriff’s office confirmed.

It happened Wednesday on Providence Hills Drive in Indian Trail, according to deputies. The victim’s wife is the one who called 911 around 4 p.m., deputies said.

Union County Death The cause of death is still unknown. (WSOC)

“Mom basically walked in after the assault and reported it, finding her husband severely injured within the home,” Union County Sheriff’s Office Lt. James Maye told Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz Thursday.

Gary Vanderschel, 71, was killed in a serious assault, according to deputies.

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Gary’s son, Dylan Vanderschel, was quickly determined to be the suspect and he was arrested in South Carolina about an hour afterward, according to deputies.

Deputies called the homicide a difficult situation.

“You never know what you’re going to get when you respond to a situation like this,” Maye had said Wednesday. “Obviously, what happened today is the last thing we ever want to see. We want families to reach out to us and seek out resources.”

Dylan Vanderschel, 25, is in the Lancaster County Detention Center, where he is awaiting extradition on his first-degree murder charge. He was due in court in Mecklenburg County Thursday morning for a robbery charge but at last check, he’s still at the Lancaster County jail.

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Vanderschel has a violent past. Last year, he was convicted of assaulting his mother. At the time, detectives said Vanderschel gave her a swollen right eye and a red mark on her neck after putting her in a chokehold.

Back in 2019, he was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. Then, deputies said he stabbed his friend multiple times in a driveway off Deep Hollow Court in Wesley Chapel. Deputies said the victim was stabbed in the neck and chest area with a fillet knife.

Vanderschel was convicted of that crime, too. At the time, his brother told authorities Vanderschel had been acting paranoid and thought someone was out to get him.

Maye told Sáenz the troubling signs were there.

“It’s sad that this suspect didn’t learn from his prior mistakes and prior acts,” he said.

Vanderschel was on probation at the time of his father’s death Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said they had been called to the home multiple times for previous domestic disputes.

It’s a tragic murder case with a mother and wife stuck in the middle.

“I’m sure she’s torn,” Maye said. “She’s got a son in jail and a husband who she’s now having to plan a funeral for. So it’s a heartbreaking situation.”

Anyone with information about Wednesday’s case is asked to call Union County Crime Stoppers at 704-283-5600.

>> If you’re in a domestic violence situation or you know someone who is, there’s help for you. Call the 24-hour Domestic Violence Crisis hotline: 980-771-HOPE.

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