State Deems Fayetteville Murder Suspect's Tampering Claim 'Unfounded'

Kacey Jennings accused a deputy of destroying his court documents, but an investigation found no evidence to support his allegations.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 10:15pm

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Kacey Jennings, who is representing himself in his murder trial where he faces the death penalty, claimed in December that a deputy at the Washington County Jail had taken and destroyed his legal documents. However, prosecutors have responded that the sheriff's office investigated the allegations and found them to be 'unfounded', with no evidence of any deputy tampering with Jennings' discovery materials.

Why it matters

Allegations of evidence tampering or misconduct by law enforcement can undermine public trust in the criminal justice system, so it's important for authorities to thoroughly investigate such claims and provide transparency around their findings.

The details

Jennings is the suspect in the 2022 murder of his ex-girlfriend Allison Castro. In a handwritten letter, he claimed that Deputy McFeeters had taken and destroyed parts of his discovery documents, which typically include evidence and facts related to the case. Prosecutors have now responded that after interviewing Jennings and reviewing over 100 hours of video footage, the sheriff's office found no truth to the tampering allegations.

  • On December 3, Jennings made the tampering allegations in a handwritten letter.
  • The letter was filed publicly on December 16.
  • On January 29, prosecutors responded to Jennings' allegations, stating the investigation found them to be 'unfounded'.

The players

Kacey Jennings

The Fayetteville murder suspect who is representing himself in his trial where he faces the death penalty.

Deputy McFeeters

The Washington County Jail deputy that Jennings accused of tampering with his legal documents.

Allison Castro

Jennings' ex-girlfriend who was murdered in 2022, for which he is the suspect.

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What they’re saying

“Deputy McFeeters took off with parts of my discovery and destroyed the remains with water while I was away.”

— Kacey Jennings, Murder Suspect

What’s next

The judge will likely continue to oversee the murder trial proceedings against Jennings, who is representing himself, despite his unsubstantiated claims of evidence tampering.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of thorough investigations into allegations of misconduct by law enforcement, in order to maintain public trust in the criminal justice system and ensure a fair judicial process, even for defendants representing themselves.