On March 29, 2024, at about 12:25 a.m., Lumberton police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 500 block of East 21st Street. Officers found 27-year-old Charles Bethea inside the home with multiple gunshot wounds. Bethea was taken to UNC Health Southeastern and died there at about 7:17 a.m.

Authorities later arrested 31-year-old Bobby Jones of Lumberton and charged him with first-degree murder; Jones was booked into the Robeson County Detention Center without bond. The reports do not disclose the relationship between Bethea and Jones or a motive, and officials have asked anyone with information to contact the Lumberton Police Department at 910-671-3845.

No further details about what led to the shooting have been released. Does anyone have information about Bethea, the residence on East 21st Street, or events from that night that could help the investigation?