Teen was killed by stepmom who used her 2 sons to hide evidence, NC sheriff says

A decade-old missing person’s case took a surprising turn when deputies charged the missing teen’s stepmom with murder, and the woman’s two sons with conspiring to hide the evidence, according to North Carolina arrest warrants.

The felony charges were filed Thursday, June, 25, despite the fact detectives have yet to find the body of 18-year-old Sara Nicole Graham of Robeson County, who has been missing since 2015.

Court documents report she was killed by her stepmother, Connie Graham, who then used one of her sons to dispose of the body, while another son burned the evidence, including a bed, clothing and flooring.

Details of a motive have not been released.

“When I took office in 2018, one of my first priorities was to get justice for Sara and that doesn’t end with the criminal charges today, we will not stop until we find her,” Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a June 25 news release. “Sara was never forgotten, and those responsible, no matter how hard they tried, did not outrun the pursuit of justice.”

Connie Graham, 65, has been charged with first degree murder, two counts of felony conspiracy, and altering/stealing/destroying criminal evidence, officials said.

Bobby Matthew McLellan, 42, of Lumberton, is charged with accessory after the fact, felony conspiracy, and altering/stealing/destroying criminal evidence, officials said.

Luke Locklear, 29, of Lumberton, is charged with felony conspiracy, and altering/stealing/destroying criminal evidence by taking it from the home and burning it, a warrant says.

Connie Graham has been denied bond, and her sons are in custody, each under a $1 million bond, officials said.

The FBI reports Sara Graham was last seen on Feb. 4, 2015, at her home in Fairmont. Her van was found abandoned in a field along East McDonald Road, officials said.

A judge officially declared her dead on June 1, in keeping with a state statute requiring someone be continuously missing at least seven years before being listed as deceased, the FBI says.

Sheriff Wilkins says that step was necessary before charges could be filed.

“While I cannot discuss the specific evidence in Sara Graham’s case, I can say this: investigators along with the FBI in 2015 up until now, have spent countless hours conducting interviews, following leads, reviewing evidence, and continued to utilize advances in forensic science and technology,” Wilkins said in a Facebook post.

“As science continues to evolve, so does our ability to uncover evidence that may not have been available years ago. That dedication and perseverance ultimately led investigators to establishing probable cause for criminal charges.”

Fairmont is about a 110-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Teen was killed by stepmom who used her 2 sons to hide evidence, NC sheriff says."