Farmer found ‘unresponsive’ on tractor. It was a homicide, NC sheriff says

A man found “unresponsive” on a tractor in rural North Carolina was the victim in a homicide, according to investigators.

The discovery was made around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday near the Midway Cotton Gin in the Maxton area of Robeson County.

“Deputies responded to the 2700 block of Morrison Road in Maxton in reference to an unresponsive person. Ernie Locklear, 65, of Maxton, was transported to Scotland Medical Center in Laurinburg, where he succumbed to his injuries,” the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 16 news release.

“Based on preliminary results of an autopsy ... Locklear’s cause of death has been determined to be a homicide.”

Details of Locklear’s injuries were not released.

Maps show the block where he was found is farm land, with vast fields on both sides of the road.

“This is a deeply disturbing and senseless act. This gentleman was tragically killed while simply minding his own business, working on a farm tractor, a job that should have been routine and safe,” Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in the release.

“We are asking anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and speak with investigators. Your information could be the key to bringing justice, closure to this family, and peace to the community.”

The crime scene is about a 105-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 6:39 AM with the headline "Farmer found ‘unresponsive’ on tractor. It was a homicide, NC sheriff says."