James Hunt, 81, of Lumberton, North Carolina, was found dead at his home on Gardenia Drive on January 1, 2015. A neighbor discovered him at about 11:40 a.m. After an investigation, 23-year-old Timothy Ray Ivey of Fairmont was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and with stealing Hunt’s firearm during the altercation. Authorities described the motive as unclear.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, with Chief of Detectives Anthony Thompson involved in the probe, treated the death as a major case for the community. Friends and family remembered Hunt as kind and generous, and the killing intensified local concern about violent crime and public safety. Questions about what led to the altercation and why it happened remain unanswered.

If anyone knew James Hunt, saw unusual activity near Gardenia Drive on January 1, 2015, or has information about the events that preceded his death, please come forward.