Stephen Locklear, 38, was found dead inside his home in the 600 block of Back Swamp Road near Lumberton, North Carolina, on October 31, 2023, at about 2:00 p.m. Deputies from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an unresponsive person and the circumstances prompted a homicide investigation.

Investigators identified two suspects, brothers Richard Alexander Hardin, 32, of Red Springs, and Gatlin Ray Hardin, 29, of St. Pauls. On August 15, 2024, Richard Hardin was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, and discharging a weapon within an enclosure to incite fear; he was already in custody on unrelated charges and was held without bond. Gatlin Hardin was arrested on August 30, 2024, and charged with the same offenses; both are detained at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division is leading the inquiry with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force. If anyone has information about the case, contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-671-3170 or 910-671-3100.