Executive Summary:
Shannon Bray is a disabled homeless veteran who was victimized by his narcissistic spouse who was cheating on him in the marriage and along with her boyfriend, used the domestic violence laws of North Carolina against him. He would be arrested 2 times in a week with a 3rd arrest happening a couple months later for crimes he did not commit. His spouse falsely reported these crimes to gain an advantage in their divorce and separate Shannon from his home. It’s been over a year since the incident and while Shannon was found innocent of the original charges, he has been unable to return home. In addition, the same legal system that fought to destroy him and his career is now going lenient on his spouse; the Wake County District Attorney’s office is uninterested in the lies and manipulation his spouse used to falsely imprison Shannon and to take his life away. His spouse is currently facing criminal charges for simple assault and is likely to get off with probation and or anger management. Meanwhile, Shannon is left with over $100K in unpaid medical bills and has been permanently disabled; he was unable to work for over 8 months and had to use his life savings to exhaustion. He has had to move from place to place, city to city, over the past year and is currently staying with a Navy friend while he tries to rebuild his life. His spouse’s legal team is now attempting to make her appear as the victim while they continue to slander him; in addition, they are trying to use the courts to force him to pay for her legal bills. His spouse has effectively weaponized the domestic violence laws of NC to ruin an innocent man. The following story is supported by a mound of evidence should anyone actually care to look but his screams for help have been met with silence.
2022
December
Stephanie Bray had been struggling with her alcohol addiction for years now and has been drinking intensely in front of Eden since Shannon had his surgery. Stephanie had been spending at least $100 a day on alcohol if not more, using Shannon’s credit/debit cards for these purchases. Drinking and hiding empty bottles under the stairs outside, under the bathroom sink and in Eden’s room. Figure X (bottle in bathroom)
She would also hide full bottles of alcohol in the trash to make them look empty, hide bottles in her nightstand and other areas of the home. She entered a rehab facility around Christmas of 2022, for her alcohol addiction. The program was supposed to be 3 weeks long but after 4 days Stephanie made Shannon come pick her up stating she was sexually assaulted. The allegations were proven false. Shannon and Stephanie had discussed divorce but she promised to finish rehab. It was several months before Shannon realized Stephanie had made up the sexual assault story to get out of rehab. Figure X (stephanie on floor)
2023
May
3rd: Shannon Bray had reverse shoulder replacement surgery on his right shoulder; he was told for the first 1-6 weeks I was unable to do anything with my arm on his own. He was prescribed medication and told not to begin deltoid strengthening for at least 12 weeks post operatively.
Eden was in her room with her window open shortly after Shannon had surgery, and overheard Stephanie speaking to someone on the phone while she was intoxicated telling him that she loved him and was begging him not to hang up on her. Eden would inform Shannon the next morning. Shannon then confronted his wife, Stephanie, on the matter and told her that he had actually heard the conversation to protect his daughter as the source. Stephanie would deny the incident happened though her call logs on her cell phone showed her dialing the number 4 times. Shannon would attempt to call the number several times, but no one ever answered.
20th: Eden Bray, Shannon’s 15 year old daughter was introduced to Stephanie Bray’s boyfriend at the neighborhood swimming pool. Eden would start taking photos, videos, and would text back and forth with Stephanie about her boyfriend, Todd Fischer. See Figure 1.
24th: Stephanie Bray texted Eden and stated that she needed to go do something and instructued her to tell Shannon she was bringing Eden a shirt for cheer.
Text from Stephanie to Eden: Wed, May 24th at 5:39 PM: “Hey! I’ve gotta go do something. If your dad texts you, I’m bringing you a shirt for cheer. Good?”, Figure (text).
27th: Stephanie Bray texted Eden stating the man, Todd Fischer, that Eden met a week earlier kept texting and calling her stating he needs her to bring her sexy ass over and cuddle with him.
Text from Stephanie to Eden: Sat, May 27th at 4:30 PM: “He keeps texting ‘I need your sexy ass to come over and cuddle with me’. Stephanie then adds 3 puke emojis. Figure X (text).
June
4th: Stephanie informs Eden that Todd texted that he is in love with her.
Text from Stephanie: Sun, Jun 4 at 5:11 PM:
“Grrrrlll. Scabby just texted that he is in love with me.”
“Fatty*”
“Lol”
13th: Around 3pm Stephanie Bray asked Eden Bray (who did not have a permit or licenses) to drive her to the pool because she was too intoxicated to drive herself. She then told my daughter Eden that she could take the car by herself and go to her friends. Eden then gets pulled over by Apex PD who called Shannon and stated the officer had Eden pulled over at Circle K; when Shannon asked the officer where his wife was, the officer stated she didn’t know who he was speaking of, only his daughter was present in the car. Shannon informed the officer Eden had left the house with his wife and that they should be together. Shannon was unable to use his a vehicle to drive and meet the officer because Stephanie had, two days prior, left it on the side of the road with a flat tire and took an uber back home. Shannon then requested an uber to meet the officer; while waiting for an uber he called Stephanie, who was intoxicated at Harris Teeter, and asked why Eden was driving the car; her response was “I thought she was only driving around the corner.” Shannon then told Stephanie she should never let his daughter drive a vehicle without a permit or license. Shannon had the uber driver pick Stehpanie up, then stop by the house so both to could meet the officer and Eden at the Circle K on Williams St in Apex. Stephanie told the officer that Eden stole the car without her knowledge. The officer then asked Eden if she took the car, knowing she had permission from her stepmother, Eden said no. The officer stated due to the conflicting stories she was going to let it all go, and Shannon then drove Eden and his intoxicated wife home. See Figure X.
July
4th
Eden recorded a video with her cell phone of my Stephanie Bray on the phone with Todd Fisher, stating she wants to be with him. (recorded-252770903 9817.MOV)
In a second video, Stephanie Bray being asked over the phone by Todd “when are you going to get a divorce?” in which she replies, “3 months.” (recorded-254716594 4854.MOV)
(Videos are available for evidence)
Eden verbally hears Stephanie talking about taking the house from Shannon and having Todd move into the house once they got Shannon out of it. Stephanie would verbally admit to Eden that she had been sleeping with Todd multiple times and that he lived in the townhomes in the neighborhood.
Eden Bray and her friend Payton also were verbally told together by Stephanie, on a night that she was drinking, as well as providing the two of them (15-year-old girls) with alcohol as well, that her boyfriend Todd hit her. Figure X (Text and image of Eden’s room)
6th
Stephanie texts Eden to tell her Mom she is going to the lake with Payton so she can stay at the house and sends a photo of Todd.
9th:
Stephanie texted Eden and stated that her boyfriend, Todd, had broken up with her. Eden then asks Stephanie who had been to the house that morning at 0900 in the morning and Stephanie sends her a photo of Todd Fischer. Figure X (Image of Todd)
23rd:
Shannon witnesses Stephanie pulling out of the townhomes in the neighborhood after being on a “girls’ trip” at the coast all weekend. Stephanie was actually with Todd Fisher, as none of my credit cards were used; Stephanie asked Shannon to send her money on Venmo, The story was confirmed by my Stephanie’s niece, whose mom was one of the ones Stephanie said she went with on this trip. Stephanie was gone for days, and sometimes weeks. Within the previous months, Stephanie had been on multiple trips stating she was gone with her mom or sisters; each case was a lie.
24th:
Kenna Bray, age 13, finds 3 elf bar vapes hidden in her room.
August
7th
Shannon texted Stephanie regarding her spending amount on multiple credit cards. Stephanie maxed out each card leaving the family with large amounts of debt. Shannon informed Stephanie that her excessive drinking and use of credit cards had been detrimental to the marriage and that he couldn’t afford to keep paying all the bills only for her to run up all the credit cards up and spend money on her alcohol addiction. She promised she would work on her sobriety. She did not return home that night and was with Todd.
8th
Stephanie informs Shannon that she could not pick Eden up from cheer and that he would have to. Shannon responds that he already planned to pick up Eden because Stephanie has been unreliable the past couple of months, I then stated he wanted to end the marriage and this wasn’t what he wanted in his life. Stephanie would leave the house.
11th
Stephanie returns home after being gone for many days. Shannon reached out to divorce lawyers and began typing up document to begin the process of separation from the marriage. Upon her return home, Shannon let Stephanie know that he would be giving her papers and that he wanted a divorce; she responded saying that she was not signing any papers and that we were going to get lawyers. Figure X (Text messages from Stephanie to Shannon)
12th
Shannon stayed out with friends and did not return home that evening.
13th
Shannon would arrive home around lunch time; Shannon informs Stephanie that he has proof of her infidelity on his cell phone. Stephanie demanded that he give her the cell phone, when he refused, she pulled on his right arm that was healing from surgery. His right arm was not functioning at normal capacity at this time, nor was it supposed to according to his rehabilitation. As stated in the care instruction sheet above (Figure X), at this point in his recovery, he was not to be lifting more than 2.7kg (6lbs).
Stephanie Bray continues to jerk on Shannon’s arm until he eventually drops the phone on the ground. Eden was present at this time and witness Stephanie throw herself to the floor and grab the cell phone. Upon getting the phone, she shouted “help call 911 he’s beating me.”
Eden then says to Stephanie, “I watched you throw yourself on the ground.” Stephanie then walks out the front door with the phone, and leaves. Not long after that, Holly Springs PD came to the house to speak with my Shannon and Eden to get statements.
Holly Springs PD would take no further action. Holly Springs 23-002051
Not long after, Todd was sitting outside the family home in a Silver BMW for aproximatly 20 minutes. Shannon went outside to confront Todd; Todd then threatened Shannon and told him he better withdrawal from the governor race, or else, and accused Shannon of hitting women.
Eden was present at this time as well and confirmed Todd, a US ARMY recruiter, was Stephanie’s boyfriend.
Eden and Kenna would then go to their mom’s (Anna Bray) for their weekly custody swap. Later that day, after not hearing from Shannon because Stephanie Bray had taken his cell phone, credit/debit cards, and car keys, asked Holly Springs PD to do a welfare check on Shannon since Todd had threatened him the previous day.
On the arrival of HPD, Shannon told them he was scared for his life because Todd, who was seeing his wife, was sitting outside of the house for long periods of time.
14th:
Shannon received a phone call on his Google watch (Stephanie is nowhere to be found and still had his phone, car keys, and credit cards) from an officer stating he would like to speak with Shannon regarding what had happened the day earlier. Shannon agreed and met them outside the front of his home where they asked what happened, and he told them the story. Stephanie had gone to the magistrate at the Wake County Jail after her first attempt to get Shannon arrested didn’t work and filed another false report against him. Shannon informed the officer she still had his cell phone, cards, car keys etc. and the officer informed Shannon he was under arrest for communicating threats and assaulting Stephanie. Stephanie, in her police report, stated that Shannon physically did things to her that his arm and shoulder are incapable of doing. (Wake County 23CV602473-910).
15th:
By the time Shannon was released from jail (11 PM), his arm from the shoulder to the finger tips were purple, and his entire arm was double in size and bruised. He was unable to have any of his anti-inflammatory medication while in jail.
16th:
Shannon was escorted by Holly Springs PD officer McLean to his home to retrieve a couple changes of clothes and a laptop. He was unable to get keys for one of the two vehicles. Stephanie would remain in possession of both cars until December when Lexus repossed one of them. The cars were past their lease and were to be returned in Sept.
17th:
Trying to catch up on letting his employers know everything going on, Shannon began losing his vision/balance, nearly fainting, it was recommended by my campaign team, who had been helping him during this, go to the emergency room to have his right arm that had been pulled, beat on, and discolored, Figure X) to be checked out.
After seeing the amount of pain Shannon was in and the size of his shoulder, the emergency room doctor wanted to get Shannon to be seen quickly and ordered radiographs, as well as multiple CT scans. The radiographs read that the rod from his reverse shoulder replacement surgery had been dislocated. The doctor ordered a secondary CT to retrieve more images of the damage done to Shannon’s shoulder. Shannon was then informed his shoulder had been fractured. They scheduled Shannon for an immediate surgical consult for the following day at 1pm. The hospital put in an order to Harris Teeter for Shannon to get in order to manage the pain.
Upon going to Harris Teeter to retrieve the medication, Shannon realized they were being stalked by my wife Stephanie Bray, and her boyfriend Todd Fisher who was in his army uniform driving her. Harris Teeter sent notifications to Shannon’s phone which was in Stephanie’s possession. Stephanie called the cops and informed them I was at the local Harris Teeter picking up his medication. Walking out of Harris Teeter Shannon was confronted by two officers stating Stephanie went to the magistrates office while he was in jail and told them he violated the protection order they granted her and Shannon was arrested again. (HS 23-002103)
18th:
The jail took Shannon back to the hospital to be seen once again since he had an appointment that afternoon at 1pm. The doctor obviously couldn’t do anything at that time except continue pain management until he could get to the next appointment. Shannon was retrieved later that evening at midnight by a member of his campaign team, Travis Groo, Holly Springs Chair.
20th:
Stephanie Bray’s niece texted Eden stating that Stephanie brought Todd Fisher to meet her family that day for the first time (Figure X – text on meeting Todd).
[Text Statement from Paytan]
25th:
Shannon get’s a new phone and is staying in Concord, NC to be outside of Wake County and near his surgical team in Charlotte
28th:
Shannon is post surgery for operation #2
September
6th:
Shannon is in Durham to be closer to his kids who are now staying fulltime with Anna Bray. He would stay in Durham for 2 weeks before moving back to the Charlotte area for additional surgeries.
15th:
First attempt to repair the dislocated joint. Complications from a staph infection.
22nd
Shannon is staying in Dallas, NC.
28th:
Second attempt to repoair the join and clear the infection. Complications arose as the surgery failed due to the infection and caused the joint to dislocate.
October
5th
Shannon moves to Charlotte, NC
10th:
Surgery #3 which removed the titanium join and inserted an antibiotic spacer. At this time, Shannon had lost all medical coverage. A PICC line was added. PICC is an abbreviation for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter. A PICC is a long, thin, flexible tube which is inserted into a large vein in the arm near the bend of the elblow and is slid into the body just above the heart. This required self administration of antibiotics 3 times a day, every 8 hours with the final dose completing on Thanksgiving Day, 2023.
December
1st
Shannon found innocent of DV and the first DVPO violation; Stephanie’s testimony was drastically different than the statement she provided the magistrate and the judge through out charges based on her testimony. 23CR384581-910
9th
Shannon is arrested for DVPO violation for calling the alarm company while in Durham to get security logs to prove he didn’t set off the house alarm.
11th
23CV029317-910
2024
January
February
1st
Shannon moves to Angier, NC.
27th
23CR408443-910
March
21st:
Surgery #4 to insert a new titanium join. Bed rest was mandatory for 6 weeks.
April
2nd:
23CR408443-910
18th:
23CV029317-910
19th:
Surgery #5 to adjust the titanium joint to due dislocation caused by the arm elongation from not being connected at the shoulder.
July
25th:
Stephanie lied in court about staying in the family home with her son who has autism to convince the judge not to let Shannon into the home. CPS would later verify this was a lie 23CV029317-910
Stephanie arrested for assault - 23CR480332-910
August
12th:
Stephanie Bray changed her story and said she alone was living in the home with no running water or electricity in order to prohibit Shannon from returning home. Picture and video evidence shows the house had feecees in all the toilets with no water. Sewer flies were abundant in the house. Liquor bottles were found all over the house. The house was not lived in for sometime. While Stephanie was under court order not to be at the house as a condition of her release, she stated that she lived there to prohibit Shannon from returning.
23CV029317-910
September
6th:
23CR480332-910
Stephanie made false claims that Shannon was harassing her and put a chess piece on the front porch. While there was no evidence to support this, the judge extended the protection order. At the time of the alleged innocent, Shannon was in Charlotte, NC with no transportation and was giving himself PICC line injections every 8 hours and was unable to travel. Stephanie lied to the judge to keep Shannon from returning to the family home.