Star Grant, 16, and Devan Loving, 28, are facing multiple charges in connection with the fatal shooting in North Carolina
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/ashworth-drive-man-accused-murder-051026-f8a922a0943d4beaba95ea9b3dddb2fb.jpg "16-year-old daughter, man accused of murder after 3 found dead in WNC home")
Credit: FOX Carolina News
NEED TO KNOW
- Star Grant, 16, and Devan Loving, 28, have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting incident in North Carolina
- Star’s parents and grandmother were found dead with gunshot wounds at their family home on Thursday, May 7
- Law enforcement officials believe the victims were dead for days before being discovered during a third welfare check
A teenager has been accused of fatally shooting her parents and grandmother at their North Carolina home.
At around 7:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 7, deputies conducted a welfare check at a home in Fairview, where they found husband and wife Travis, 41, and Kimberly Grant, 42, and 66-year-old Sharon Grant dead from gunshot wounds, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said in a news release shared on Facebook.
Star Grant — the 16-year-old daughter of Travis and Kimberly — was missing from the family home, BCSO Major John Ledford confirmed at a press conference on Friday, May 8, per WLOS News 13.
She was located a day later in Gatlinburg, Tenn., accompanied by 28-year-old Devan Loving.
Gatlinburg Police and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found the pair in a hotel room after a car linked to the teen was seen outside of the building, according to the Citizen Times. The nature of their relationship has not been shared publicly at this time.
They are each facing charges of first-degree murder and felony conspiracy to commit murder, the BCSO confirmed. Star is being charged as an adult alongside Loving.
“Our detectives travelled to Gatlinburg to interview the suspects. Information received during those interviews led to [their charges],” said the BCSO. A motive for the shooting has not been determined at this time.
The police believe that the three deceased family members had been dead for several days before being discovered, according to Fox Carolina News. The Medical Examiner's Office has yet to determine the time of the victims' deaths, per Citizen Times.
Credit: Sevier County Detention Center
Star was adopted by Travis in 2019, WLOS News 13 reported, citing court records.
Relatives of the Grant family told Citizen Times that Star “had been involved with a man who bought her a burner cell phone to talk to her in secret,” and Travis tried to file a restraining order against the individual. It is not known if that same man is Loving.
Requests for welfare checks on the family were made on May 4 and 6, before the authorities answered the third call, the outlet reported, citing Buncombe County Sheriff's Captain Dustan Auldredge.
“They did not develop enough information to force entry into the residence. We have to be able to articulate an exigency there and the information at that time just did not exist,” said Auldredge. “A lot of facts … became clear at the time of the third welfare check that painted a picture of exigency to enter the residence [May 7].”
Star is in custody at the Sevier County Juvenile Detention Center, while Loving is in custody with the Sevier County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), according to WLOS News 13.
The pair will face an extradition hearing in Tennessee before being brought to Buncombe County, according to the BCSO.
“We would like to express our condolences to the family of these victims. We would also like to share our gratitude for our team of Patrol Deputies, Detectives, Crime Scene Investigators, and those leading these teams," said the BCSO in its news release. "Most of them have not slept because they have focused on nothing but arriving at this outcome that will hopefully bring closure to those impacted by this tragedy.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the BCSO, SCSO and GPD for further comment.