Robeson County, North Carolina, is known for being the home of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Lumber River, which is integral to the local economy and name, its historic buildings, and it was a center for the lumber industry. In many ways, the county resembles many others across the southeastern United States in that people take pride in their community and way of life.
It’s also an area where many have seemingly vanished through the years, without a trace. I’ve covered many high-profile cases during my career, but when I began to receive messages regarding three homicides from 2017, which I later coined the “Lumberton 3,” my attention quickly changed.
The three deaths occurred within a four-block radius in Lumberton in 2017. All of them were women, and all died under mysterious circumstances. Christina “Kristin” Bennett was found on April 17 on Peachtree Street. Rhonda Jones was found outside a home on East 5th Street the same day as Bennett, according to the FBI website, and Megan Oxendine was discovered on June 3, outside a house on East 8th Street.
According to ncdps.gov, “violent crimes per 100,000 people, Robeson County has 872 compared to 312 statewide.” The county had 36 murders in 2022, 41 in 2023, and 29 in 2024. Currently, Robeson County has 18 missing people listed on the database, with the oldest case dating back to 1989.
A quick web search of unsolved homicides from that area, such as the death of Ronald Dean Locklear on August 26, 2005, who was just 31 years old at time of death, the recent arrest of Kenneth Delton Locklear in the 1996 cold case of Margaret Lois Bell, 29 years later, the 2021 death of Marqueise “Queise” Coleman and 2020 death of Azell Houston, and DeMarius McCoy and Dennis Bain, and many others within the last several years, paints a more grim picture.
In a June 20, 2023 article by WPDE regarding the deaths of Coleman, Houston, McCoy, and Bain, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office stated, “there’s a common denominator as to why the cases aren’t solved and that’s due to people on the scene at the time of the incidents not fully cooperating since the start of the investigations.”
In the same article, Sheriff Wilkins said, “Our office has several homicide cases that could be solved today if on-scene witnesses would come forward and cooperate and tell the truth as to what occurred. Some cases are easily solved by seasoned investigators and by utilizing technology, science and other forensic evidence, but in many cases, we need witnesses to simply do the right thing and assist by providing information as to what they saw and bring closure to many grieving families. Until then, we will continue to seek out facts to support probable cause needed to secure a warrant.”
It’s a community problem, which begins when people refuse to speak with authorities out of fear of retaliation from those who commit the crimes. Many would be solved if people came forward, such as in the 2017 case of the “Lumberton 3.”
The autopsies performed on Bennett, Oxendine, and Jones showed “the causes and manner of death as undetermined.” Local authorities are stating that deaths are not cold cases, even though it’s been eight years.
Per the FBI website, ” Lumberton Police Lieutenant Jennifer White is hopeful someone with information will come forward.”
“Lumberton is a close-knit community. We know people want to help find out what happened to these women. We’re still trying to confirm exactly when Kristin, Rhonda, and Megan were last seen and who they were with. We need that timeline to assist in our investigation and give the families of these women much-needed answers and some closure.”
“Cases nationwide are being solved. Ones that are 5 years old, ten years old, 20, even 30 years old with new technology and new methods of investigation and all it takes is that one small piece maybe a small piece that is reanalyzed, maybe a new technology or a new way of looking at that piece of evidence and we are confident that it’s just going to take one bit of information, one reanalysis to solve this.” (Last three paragraphs from the FBI website)
What we know:
* According to a WPDE article on April 18, 2025, “Jones’ body was found in a trash can.”
* Three people don’t typically end up dead within a four-block radius within two months of each other
* All have family and friends who want closure
* Someone knows what happened to these three victims
A reward for information regarding the “Lumberton 3” has been raised from $40,000 to $75,000 in the past two years.
If you have information on any cases, please get in touch with the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Lumberton Police Department at 910-671-3845 if you have any information surrounding the case.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
