North Carolina Teen and Older Man Charged in Triple Murder of Girl's Family Members

Authorities in Buncombe County, North Carolina, have charged a sixteen-year-old girl and a twenty-eight-year-old man with three counts of first-degree murder following the discovery of three bodies in a Fairview residence Thursday evening.

Star Grant and Devon O’Neil Loving now face charges of first-degree murder and felony conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the deaths of Travis Eugene Grant, forty-one, Kimberly Michelle Grant, forty-two, and Sharon Harwood Grant, sixty-six. All three victims died from gunshot wounds. The younger suspect is the daughter of Travis and Kimberly Grant and the granddaughter of Sharon Grant.

Given the gravity of the alleged crimes, prosecutors have elected to charge the sixteen-year-old as an adult. Under North Carolina law, these Class A felonies carry the possibility of life imprisonment or capital punishment.

The investigation began when Buncombe County deputies responded to a welfare check request at approximately seven-fifteen Thursday evening at a home on Ashworth Drive. Family members and friends had grown concerned after being unable to reach the victims for several days.

Deputies had previously conducted welfare checks at the residence on Monday and Wednesday of this week. However, authorities stated they lacked sufficient legal grounds to force entry into the home during those earlier visits. North Carolina law requires evidence of an emergency situation before law enforcement may enter a private residence without consent or a warrant.

Upon gaining lawful entry Thursday evening, deputies discovered the three victims deceased inside the home. Investigators immediately noted the absence of the teenage girl and initiated a multi-agency search operation.

Working in coordination with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Gatlinburg Police Department, authorities tracked the two suspects across state lines. The swift collaboration between agencies proved effective.

Shortly before six o’clock Friday morning, law enforcement officers apprehended Grant and Loving at a hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Both suspects are residents of Buncombe County. The nature of the relationship between the sixteen-year-old and the twenty-eight-year-old remains undisclosed at this time, though this detail will likely emerge as the investigation continues.

The suspects currently remain in custody in Tennessee. They are scheduled to appear at an extradition hearing Monday before being transferred back to North Carolina to face formal charges in Buncombe County.

The case raises questions about the circumstances that led to this tragic outcome and what warning signs, if any, may have been present. As this investigation unfolds, authorities will work to establish a timeline of events and determine the full extent of both suspects’ involvement in these deaths.

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office announced the charges during a Friday news conference, providing the community with an update on the swift apprehension of the suspects. The investigation remains active as authorities continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses.

This case now moves forward through the judicial system, where both suspects will face the serious charges brought against them.