87-year-old killed in Union Co. described as 'caring with heart of gold'

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — Union County authorities are searching for whoever killed an 87-year-old man inside his home office in Indian Trail.

Sim Augusta Flowe, known as "SA," was found dead Wednesday morning in his home office on Gribble Road.

Family and friends described Flowe as a caring man with a heart of gold. His nephew said Flowe had owned and operated a nearby trailer home park in Indian Trail for more than 40 years.

Ashley Pressley, who lives in the mobile home park Flowe owned, said he was like a grandpa to her.

“Everybody around here in the neighborhood is taking it hard,” Pressley said. “It just breaks my heart."

Fearing something was wrong when she couldn’t get in touch with him, Pressley went to police and asked them to perform a welfare check Wednesday morning.

Pressley said she never expected they would find Flowe dead on the floor of his home office.

“I don’t even understand why someone would want to do this to an elderly person,” Pressley said. “Especially somebody like SA who would help you. All you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to just hurt him.”

87-Year-Old Sim Augusta Flowe... known by friends and family as S.A. Investigators say he was murdered in his home office in Indian Trail. pic.twitter.com/PLE6z8N9St
— Paul Boyd (@PaulBoydWSOC9) September 6, 2017

Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey would not say how Flowe was killed, but he did say investigators will do everything they can to find out who murdered the man and why.

“I’m not sure we have a good read on what direction we’re moving yet,” Cathey said. “We’ll get there, but we don’t have it yet.”

Residents in the small community Flowe managed are hoping for a quick arrest. They admit they are worried for their own safety.