Three bodies found in home, along with an injured man covered in blood, NC cops say

A 911 call about gunfire at a North Carolina home led deputies to a scene of carnage, including three bodies and a blood-covered man with critical injuries, according to investigators.

That man is now a suspect in the killings, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office said in a case update.

The bodies were discovered around 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 17, at a home on East Roberts Street in Clarkton, about a 110-mile drive south from Raleigh.

“Deputies responded to the scene where they encountered 35-year-old Kevin Musser at the front door of the residence with bloody clothing (and) holding a handgun,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“Musser shut the door and retreated out the back door where deputies quickly found him on the back door steps. Musser had life threatening injuries and was airlifted to Chapel Hill hospital.”

Inside the home, deputies found the bodies of Daniel Dennis, 62, Randy Benton, 54, and Phillip Palmer, 32, “with multiple stab wounds to each,” officials said.

Detectives initially named 35-year-old Musser a “person of interest” in the killings.

On Wednesday March 19, he was charged with three counts of first degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of methamphetamine, and maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for sale or use of controlled substances, officials said.

Details of a motive have not been released, and detectives have not said how the victims are related to each other.

This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Three bodies found in home, along with an injured man covered in blood, NC cops say."