Brett James’ wife, Melody Carole, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, were both killed in the North Carolina plane crash that also claimed the country music songwriter’s life.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed on Friday, September 19, that all three died when their single-engine Cirrus SR22T plane crashed into a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina, on Thursday, September 18, according to The New York Times. The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration’s investigation into the crash is ongoing and a preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
According to the outlet, the plane was registered to Brett Cornelius, which a profile on the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame website suggested was the musician’s real name.
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