A teen, Star Grant, and a 28-year-old man, Devon O’Neil Loving, were arrested after three relatives were found shot to death inside a home on Ashworth Drive in Fairview, Buncombe County, North Carolina, authorities said. The victims were Travis Eugene Grant, Kimberly Michelle Grant, and Sharon Harwood Grant, and deputies located the scene after a welfare check on Thursday evening. The pair were tracked across state lines and taken into custody in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and face first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in North Carolina.
Star Grant, 16, and Devon O’Neil Loving, 28, are each charged with three counts of first-degree murder and a felony conspiracy to commit murder. Because of the severity and the charges involved, Grant is being processed as an adult under state law. In North Carolina, Class A felonies like these can carry life in prison or a death sentence, depending on how the case proceeds.
Local deputies responded to a welfare check at about 7:15 p.m. Thursday after concerned relatives reported no contact with the occupants of the house. Officials said two earlier welfare checks took place earlier in the week, one on Monday and another on Wednesday, but investigators did not have legal grounds to force entry until the third visit. When deputies entered the home they discovered the three victims with fatal gunshot wounds.
Authorities identified the victims as Travis Eugene Grant, 41; Kimberly Michelle Grant, 42; and 66-year-old Sharon Harwood Grant. Investigators confirmed that Star Grant is the daughter of Travis and Kimberly Grant and the granddaughter of Sharon Grant, which makes the incident especially devastating for close family members. The discovery sent local law enforcement into immediate investigative mode given the familial ties and the violent nature of the scene.
Once officials realized the 16-year-old was missing, a wider search began and multiple agencies joined in. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation worked with the Gatlinburg Police Department on an interstate effort to track the two suspects. That coordination led detectives to a hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where both were arrested shortly before 6 a.m. on Friday.
Grant and Loving, who both live in Buncombe County, remain in Tennessee custody while an extradition process is arranged. They are expected to face an extradition hearing on Monday before being returned to North Carolina to answer the charges. Law enforcement officials emphasized that the arrests were the result of coordinated investigative work across state lines.
No motive has been released by authorities as of Friday afternoon, and investigators have not provided further detail on how the crime unfolded. Police stressed that, despite the gravity of the case, they believe there is no ongoing threat to the public at large. Detectives are continuing to interview witnesses, review evidence, and piece together a timeline leading up to the deaths.
The community around Ashworth Drive and the wider Fairview area has been left stunned by the brutal nature of the killings. Neighbors and relatives described the Grants as local residents who now figure in a tragic and complicated criminal investigation. Officials declined to release additional personal details while the inquiry is active and the case moves through the legal system.
Legal proceedings will determine how prosecutors handle the most serious charges and whether additional counts emerge as evidence is examined. Being charged as an adult significantly changes the legal pathway for Star Grant and opens the possibility of the most severe penalties available under state law. Defense teams for both suspects will have the opportunity to challenge the evidence and argue their cases in court.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
