FAIRVIEW, N.C. (THECOUNT) — Travis Eugene Grant, 41, Kimberly Michelle Grant, 42, and Sharon Harwood Grant, 66, all of Fairview, North Carolina, have been identified as the victims in a triple homicide discovered Thursday evening inside a Buncombe County residence, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. Star Grant, the couple’s 16-year-old adopted daughter, and 28-year-old Devan Loving, have been charged in connection with the killings.
Authorities said Travis and Kimberly Grant were married, while Sharon Grant was Travis Grant’s mother. Court records reportedly indicate Travis Grant legally adopted Star in 2019.
|
Advertisement |
Deputies with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 7:15 p.m. Thursday to a residence located at 18 Ashworth Drive in Fairview after receiving a request for a welfare check involving the family.
According to officials, deputies entered the home and discovered all three victims deceased inside the residence from apparent gunshot wounds.
The residence immediately became an active homicide investigation involving multiple local and state agencies.
During a Friday press conference, investigators confirmed that Star, the teenage daughter of Travis and Kimberly Grant, was initially missing from the residence following the discovery of the bodies.
Authorities later located Star Friday morning in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, accompanied by Loving.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office subsequently announced that both suspects had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony conspiracy to commit murder.
Major John Ledford of the sheriff’s office stated that the charges are classified as Class A felonies under North Carolina law.
Despite being 16 years old, Star will be prosecuted as an adult, according to investigators.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive in the killings, and investigators have not released details regarding the precise relationship between Star and Loving.
Investigators additionally revealed that the suspects had allegedly been in Tennessee for more than several days prior to being located by law enforcement.
Authorities continue working to determine why the pair traveled to Gatlinburg following the deaths.
Officials also disclosed that deputies had responded to two previous welfare check calls at the same residence earlier in the week prior to the discovery of the victims.
According to Captain Dustan Auldredge, deputies were unable to establish sufficient legal grounds to force entry into the home during those earlier visits because investigators could not confirm evidence of an immediate emergency situation at the time.
The investigation now involves assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Gatlinburg Police Department.
Authorities said both suspects are expected to undergo extradition proceedings in Tennessee before being transported back to Buncombe County to formally face the charges.
Fairview is a rural Buncombe County community located southeast of Asheville in western North Carolina. The normally quiet mountain area remained heavily impacted by law enforcement activity following the discovery of the killings.
Investigators continued processing the Ashworth Drive residence Friday while detectives gathered evidence and conducted interviews connected to the ongoing case.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Google Maps: 18 Ashworth Drive, Fairview, North Carolina
DEVELOPING::