The stepmother of a missing teenager in North Carolina and two others have been arrested more than 10 years after her disappearance. A multi-page police release sent chills down everyone’s spine….
“While some may have believed this case had gone cold… a case like this never leaves the minds of the investigators assigned to it,” said the RSCO Sheriff
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A photo of Connie Graham and Sara Graham.Credit : Robeson County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook; Federal Bureau of Investigation
Police in North Carolina have arrested three people in connection with the disappearance of Sara Graham, including her stepmother.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) announced on social media on Thursday, June 25, that officers arrested Connie Graham on first-degree murder in connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Sara Graham.
Connie, Sara’s stepmother, was also charged with altering, stealing or destroying criminal evidence and two counts of “felony conspiracy,” alongside Bobby Matthew McLellan and Luke Locklear, who were identified as her two sons, per WTVD and WPDE. McLellan also faces an “accessory after the fact” charge, police said.
The RCSO said it was not able to “release all of the facts and circumstances that led to these arrests,” amid its ongoing investigation.
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Sara was reportedly last seen on Feb. 4, 2015, at her home in Fairmont, N.C. Her van was found abandoned the same day around 12:15 p.m. in a field along East McDonald Road, according to a press release from the FBI.
She was legally declared deceased on June 1, 2026, due to a N.C. statute that states a missing person may be presumed dead if they have been continually missing for seven years.
However, her body was never found, and the FBI is still offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location of her remains.
“While some may have believed this case had gone cold, the reality is a case like this never leaves the minds of the investigators assigned to it,” said RSCO Sheriff Burnis Wilkins in a statement.
“… Sara did not deserve to have her life taken. While nothing can undo the loss felt by so many, we hope these arrests provide some measure of comfort. The pursuit of justice never stopped, Sara was never forgotten, and those responsible, no matter how hard they tried did not outrun the pursuit of justice,” added Wilkins.
Following the arrests, Sara’s mother, Catherine L. Armenta, issued a statement through her attorney, Carlton Mansfield to WPDE.
“The last 11 years have been tremendously difficult,” said Armenta. “Not a day goes by that my other children and I don’t think about Sara. We miss her terribly. After more than a decade since Sara’s disappearance, the decision to seek a court order to have her declared deceased was incredibly painful but something we felt we needed to do.”
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“… We echo the plea that we have made since 2015 that anyone with information about Sara’s disappearance should come forward and share that information with law enforcement.”
Connie Graham was denied bond during her first court appearance on June 25, and McLellan and Locklear are each being held on $1 million secured bonds, according to local outlet WCTI.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office for updates.
