Phillip Lee Ingle (August 7, 1961 – September 22, 1995) was an American serial killer who murdered two elderly couples in Cherryville, North Carolina in 1991.

[1] Before he was arrested, Ingle, who knew one pair of his victims, confessed to a friend, saying he enjoyed watching people die in agony.

[9] Two weeks after the first two killings, Ingle tried to check himself into a state mental hospital after he was found drunk and threatening to commit suicide.

[5] William Rafter, the director of Black Mountain's treatment program, said Ingle's case demonstrated a problem for those who were "dually diagnosed".

That is, the system did a bad job of finding and treating people who suffered from both mental illness and substance abuse problems.

Neighbors and family members said Melton had personal issues which troubled the couple and possibly attracted the attention of the authorities.

Newspapers reported that Melton underwent psychiatric treatment in the 1980s, and neighbors said he used to use drugs, but did not appear to be doing so prior to his death.

However, as time passed and police found no evidence linking Melton to the murders, the pressure on him seemed to ease.

fought back with his cane, striking Ingle several times and giving him a black eye and a gash on his face.

[11] After the second pair of murders were discovered by the couple's daughter on September 9, Melton became a suspect once more, and investigators returned to question him.

[5] Ingle later said he envisioned his four victims were "demons with red eyes, horns and tails", and claimed he believed he was doing God's work by killing them.

However, the North Carolina Supreme Court found that although Ingle had mental health issues, there was no evidence that he was legally insane and he was thus competent to waive his appeals.

[4] In a videotape, Ingle said the only alternative to execution which he was willing accept was lifetime commitment to a psychiatric hospital, which would have been the outcome of his trial had he been ruled insane.

His last meal consisted of a medium-rare steak, a baked potato, a tossed salad, and butter pecan ice cream.

"[16] Ingle requested that his body be cremated and his ashes scattered in South Mountain State Park in Burke County Creech.