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10 Famous Murders in North Carolina
One of the worst types of violent crime, homicide quickly destroys lives and communities. A regrettable aspect of this is that occasionally killers go uncaught. But how many murders go unsolved in North Carolina each year?
North Carolina is ranked eighth in terms of homicide cases that have been solved or cleared. There were 550 homicides committed in North Carolina in 2017, and 426 of them were solved, for a solution rate of 77.5 percent.
Several people who lived in North Carolina, the United States of America lost their lives to cold-hearted assailants. Some of these assailants have been arrested and are serving life sentences, while other cases remain to be mysteries.
Below are the 10 Famous Murders in North Carolina:
1. The Murder of Brenda Sue Brown
Police cars parked near the crime scene fenced with barrier tape. Photo by Faruk Tokluoglu on Pexels
Brenda Sue Brown was an 11-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered with her body found in a wooded area near downtown Shelby, North Carolina. On 27th July 1966, Brenda was asked to walk her 6-year-old sister to a Head Start class.
She failed to return home which prompted her family to begin a door-to-door search and ask neighbors whether they saw her. A few hours later, her nude body was found dumped in a wooded area not far from her home.
The body of Brenda Sue was covered with freshly cut tree leaves and brush. Her red and white dress was neatly folded and placed on top and a bloody rock was found nearby. There were no leads to catch the person responsible for her death.
2. Kathy Bonney’s Murder
Another murder that gained media attention was of 19 years old Kathy Bonney who was brutally killed by her father in Camden County, North Carolina. On 21st November 1987, Tom Bonney left his family home with his daughter Kathy. Susan Bonney, sister of Kathy saw them in the car at a 7-Eleven store.
While on the journey, an argument between father and daughter over her lover began. She swore at her father and started reaching out for the gun Tom had carried in his vehicle which went off. Tom fired 27 shots at his daughter and then dumped her body alongside the Dismal Swamp Canal.
Tom Bonney returned home with his daughter which raised questions. He did not join the others in the search for Kathy. Tom was arrested, and put on trial but did not plead guilty to murder as he blamed a dissociative identity disorder.
3. The Murder of James R. Jordan Sr.
Michael Jordan in 2013. Photo by Bryan Horowitz on Wikimedia
Jordan Sr. pulled over on US Highway 74 just south of Lumberton, North Carolina, on July 23, 1993, to take a nap as he was on his way home after spending the day playing golf. Daniel Andre Green and Larry Martin Demery spotted the posh vehicle Michael had bought for him (a red Lexus SC400 with a North Carolina license plate that read “UNC0023”).
While Jordan was asleep in his car, Green fired one round into his chest, instantly killing him. Green then stole the car. On August 3 in a swamp in McColl, South Carolina, his body was discovered.
Jordan Sr. Was not identified until August 13 with the use of dental records provided by the family dentist due to his body’s high condition of decomposition. The coroner had earlier incinerated his body because there wasn’t enough room for it, but his jaw and hands were kept for identification.
Jordan Sr. Was the father of Michael Jordan, Green and Demery discovered after searching through his possessions. Two NBA championship rings that were handed to Michael Jordan Sr. By his son were among the other things they had taken from the automobile. Green and Demery made several calls using Jordan Sr. Mobile’s phone, which led to their arrest.
4. Judy Smith’s Murder
In the woods near a campground on September 7, 1997, hunters in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina discovered human bones, clothing, and several other objects. Near the Stoney Fork picnic area, a father and son hunting for deer in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina discovered what seemed to be human bones on a slope.
The majority of the skeleton was still present, still covered in clothing and half buried in a shallow grave. The body was quickly identified as belonging to Judy Smith, a 50-year-old nurse from Newton, Massachusetts, based on dental records and an arthritic knee.
Nearly five months prior, her husband Jeffrey had seen her for the last time in a hotel in Philadelphia. It was confirmed that the death might be a homicide because of the markings in the bra and below the ribs.
5. Freddie Brown Lane’s Murder
A criminologist in gloves zipping a bag with a dead body. Photo by Faruk Tokluoglu on Pexels
Freddie Brown was an American football running back who played for the Carolina Panthers. Deidra Lane, Fred’s wife, fatally shot him as he entered their house on July 6, 2000.
He was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun, once in the chest and once in the back of the head, seemingly at point-blank range, and his keys were still within the lock. In 2003, Deidra Lane admitted to committing voluntary manslaughter.
During her prosecution, Deidra Lane was labeled as a violent woman who killed her husband to obtain life insurance. She was described as a battered wife who was killed in self-defense by her defense attorneys.
As a result of the judge’s determination that her acts were premeditated and purposeful and that she acted maliciously by shooting him a second time after he had already lost consciousness, she was given a sentence of seven years and 11 months.
6. Sean Ethan’s Murder
In February 2004 in Durham, North Carolina, a gay American man named Sean Ethan Owen was killed. Sean Ethan was shot twice and seemingly left for dead. His body was discovered in the Eno River.
Owen was enticed from his hometown of Franklinton to Durham by Matthew Taylor, Derrick Maiden, and Shelton Epps after they contacted him in a gay.com chatroom. Their goal was to rob Owen and steal his car.
The three killed Owen when he tried to flee by shooting him twice in the head and then dumped his body in the Eno River, where it was discovered on February 21, 2004. Shelton Epps, the gunman, was found guilty of first-degree murder and given a life sentence. Matthew Taylor also received a life sentence.
7. The Murder of Maria Frances Lauterbach
Police Logo Painted on the Police Car Doors. Photo by Cottonbro Studio on Pexels
Maria Frances was a US Marine who had disappeared from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on 14th December 2007. Her mother, Mary Lauterbach revealed that L.Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was getting ready to testify that a fellow Marine sexually assaulted her.
Police were informed by Mary Lauterbach that her daughter had “said she had been raped by a senior Marine at her command and that the investigation had gone bad.” Her father also stated that she was an adopted child who had long-standing issues.
On December 19, 2007, five days following their last chat, her mother filed a missing persons report. On December 20, her phone was discovered close to Camp Lejeune’s main entrance.
The charred corpses of Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child were discovered by authorities in a fire pit in Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean’s backyard. A significant amount of her blood was also discovered in Laurean’s home in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Laurean had made efforts to tidy up the area.
8. Murder of Eve Carson
Eve Carson who was a student at the University of North Carolina was abducted and murdered by Lovette and Jayson McNeil. On the night of March 4th, 2008, the two friends, Lovette and Jayson went out to rob someone. The saw spotted Eve heading to her vehicle and forced themselves into her car with Lovette getting into the driver’s seat.
Jayson got to the backseat with Eve while brandishing a gun at her. They took Eve Carson around and robbed her of $700 at 3:55 AM on the morning of 5th March 2008. She tried to plead for her life during this incident but the two never heeded her because she had seen their faces.
The two friends drove Eve towards a wooded place where she asked them to pray with her before the killing. Eve Carson was shot five times and killed. Forensic psychologists and criminal profilers state that the murderers showed no reasonable regard for human life. The two are currently serving life sentences.
9. The Murder of Zahra Clare Baker
Police Investigators Working at the Crime Scene. Photo by Cottonbro Studio on Pexels
On 9th October 2010, 10 years old Zahra Clare Baker who was a schoolgirl in Hickory, North Carolina went missing. She was found gruesomely murdered with the series of events in this case receiving worldwide media coverage. After moving to North Carolina from Australia with her father and stepmother, troubles started following Zahra after her health conditions.
As she was schooling in a public school, there were reports about mental and physical abuse of Zahra by Elisa, her stepmother. These cases made her start home-schooling which was not taken lightly by the community they were living around. A 911 distress call was made on 9th October 2010 at 5:30 AM about a fire with a ransom note demanding $1 million being recovered.
Later at 2 PM the same day, another 911 call was made reporting that Zahra was missing. Police officers were alerted by their dogs of what was like the blood of Zahra and the arrest of Elisa was carried out. Over the days, the discovery of various body parts of Zahra began as bones and other parts were found in different positions.
This murder gained worldwide media coverage due to its nature. The remains of the head of Zahra were not found in 2010 but were discovered several years later.
10. The Murder of Cristie M. Schoen Codd
Cristie was a Spanish-born chef who rose to prominence as a contestant in the 8th season of the Food Network Star show. Together with Joseph, she was reported missing on 15th March 2015 after her family failed to reach out to her.
An investigation led to the arrest of local contractor Robert Jason Owens who was charged with the murders. At the time of her death, Cristie was five months pregnant with her first child. In March 2015, Owens pleaded guilty to two counts of dismemberment of human remains. He was sentenced to spend a minimum of 59.5 years to a maximum of 74.5 years in prison.
