Buncombe County, NC: The adult family of a 16 year old girl were all found dead by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office inside their home, according to reports.
The 16 year old teenager, identified as Star Grant, and her adult male friend, Devan Oneal Loving, 28, are now charged with the murders of the family. Both Grant, who is being charged as an adult, and Loving were hit with three counts of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office reported they were called to the residence multiple times over a week-long span to conduct welfare checks. On their third visit, they discovered the bodies of Travis Eugene Grant, 41, Kimberly Michelle Grant, 42, and Sharon Harwood Grant, 66, who were reportedly deceased for several days.
The deceased were the parents and grandmother of Grant. The relationship to Loving is unclear.
Following the grisly discovery, investigators noted that the teenager was missing, which prompted a search. The following morning authorities located Star in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, over 400 miles away, along with Loving. The two were believed to have been in Tennessee for several days by the time the murders were discovered.
Loving and Star were taken into custody in North Carolina without incident where investigators from Buncombe County were waiting to interview them. Both were then charged with the murder following the conclusion of the interviews, according to officials.
The pair are expected to be extradited back to Tennessee following an extradition hearing in North Carolina and could face the death penalty.
Authorities have declared the investigation as “active and ongoing,” although no threat to the public exists, as multiple law enforcement agencies continue their investigations.
A Small Community Shaken
A neighbor to the Grant family, Saylor Tagner, who was shocked to hear the news, was interviewed by local media and spoke positively about the family. Tagner and Star met each other in elementary school and soon became friends.
“They treated me like I was their own. And it felt awesome,” Tagner said. She added, “She would take care of me at school. If, like, someone was bullying me or something, she would stand up for me. It’s so weird to expect my neighbor to do all that. And it’s the one I grew up with. I was at their house constantly. Her family was great to me. They treated me well. She was an amazing person to me.”
Saylor’s father Keith also shared similar sentiments and remains flabbergasted by the whole incident. He was shocked to know Star was charged with such heinous acts.
“Everybody that would drive by would wave to Star, because they just knew her. I didn’t believe it. Because if you knew Star, she was a good kid. She’d come over here. She always had a dog with her,” Keith said.
Both Keith and his daughter, Saylor, stated they “never witnessed tension within the family” and are still processing the gruesome murders and told local media they are all “good people.”
No motives have been established, and the exact relationship between Star and Loving remains unclear. Additional charges may be filed.
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Writer and author Eddie Molina has over 25 years of combined law enforcement and military service. Check out his personal website at www.eddiemolina.com
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