Crystal Michelle Loughran, 40, was found dead on October 11, 2023, in a wooded area near Fieldcrest Street and Cedric Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina after a man searching for a lost dog discovered her remains. The Fayetteville Police Department pronounced her dead at the scene and detectives later ruled her death a homicide; evidence indicated she had been fatally shot.

Investigators say phone records show messages exchanged around 4:15 a.m. on October 10 in which Loughran arranged to meet someone for a sexual encounter in exchange for money. The final message from her phone stated she was leaving her Redwood Drive residence to meet that person. Surveillance and license plate reader data show a 2006 Mitsubishi Gallant, registered to the grandmother of 28-year-old Raeqwon Mitchell Carlisle, picked Loughran up from her home and headed toward the area where her body was found about 45 minutes later. The phone used to contact Loughran was also registered to Carlisle’s grandmother.

Police recovered the Mitsubishi on October 24 and say ammunition found in the car matched shell casing from the scene. Officers attempted to arrest Carlisle on October 27; he barricaded inside a Mesa Drive residence but later surrendered and was taken into custody. Carlisle was charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center without bond. The investigation remains ongoing.

Did anyone in Fayetteville know Crystal or see a 2006 Mitsubishi Gallant in the Fieldcrest–Cedric Street area that morning?