AHOSKIE, N.C. — A 17-year-old boy was arrested for murder after admitting to killing a Murfreesboro man who had been reported missing just a few days earlier, local authorities tell News 3.
Two adults are also charged in connection with the slaying of 49-year-old Stacey Mabine, who was reported missing on January 25, according to a press release from Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes.
Hayes said deputies followed up on that missing persons report two days later at a home in the 1100 block of Benthall Bridge Road.
That's where they spoke with the homeowner, 41-year-old Norman H. White, as well as 50-year-old Charita M. Cherry, both from Ahoskie. Hayes said Cherry was Mabine's girlfriend around the time of his death.
Investigators found Cherry's and White's statements weren't quite matching up when it came to Mabine and the last time anyone saw him. Eventually, the 17-year-old boy confessed to carrying out the killing, Sheriff Hayes said.
A cadaver dog found human remains at the property, and while their formal identification is still pending, they were found in an area deputies believe Mabine may have been recently, Hayes said.
All three suspects charged in connection with Mabine's death were living in the 1100 block of Benthall Bridge Road where the remains were found, the sheriff said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing and active.
The teen was charged with first-degree murder and concealing a death, the sheriff said. He was being held without bail at the Pitt County Juvenile Detention Center.
White was charged with concealing a death and being an accessory to a felony, the sheriff said. White was held on a $300,000 secured bond.
Cherry was also charged with being an accessory to a felony. She was held on a $150,000 bond.
Jail records show both White and Cherry remain behind bars at Hertford County Detention Center, and they're expected back in court later this month.
Attorney information for all three defendants was not immediately available in online court records Friday morning.
