IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — One month after a man allegedly shot and killed his estranged wife, the neighborhood near Rocky River Elementary School is quiet.
Deputies responded to Rocky River Road near Mooresville on Feb. 19 for a call saying someone had been shot in a vehicle. They found Lailani Nicole Givens, 34, dead inside a car near a home.
Givens’ sister said she was a bright light taken too soon.
“It seems surreal,” TJ Sebens said. “I know it’s happened, I still can’t believe it happened. I can’t believe how it happened.”
Given’s roommate called 911 that day. He doesn’t want to be identified, but described the moment he found her.
“I went outside and then my reaction was, it made me frantic about the situation, I couldn’t believe it, that she was dead,” he said.
Friends and family said Lailani had a protective order against her estranged husband, Arthur Givens. Although there was no suspect at the scene, that’s who the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said it focused its efforts on. Givens already had an outstanding warrant for multiple assaults -- including strangulation.
Lailani’s sister said not many people knew about her struggles.
“My sister was not one to talk about her personal life, not even to her best friends,” Sebens said. “So, no one knew. Everyone thought she was happy.”
After more than a week, multiple agencies helped with the search to find their prime suspect. Those agencies included the US Marshals Office, who released photos of the man they were looking for. They offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Authorities found and arrested Arthur Givens at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Charlotte on Feb. 28. He’s now in the Iredell County jail with no bond facing several charges that include murder.
TJ Sebens is now working to raise money to cover her sister’s cremation costs. She wants to honor Lailani’s life -- the one she had, and the one she wanted.
“She was trying to get on the right track, she wanted better for herself, she did,” Sebens said.
For a link to Sebens’ GoFundMe, click here.
(WATCH BELOW: Police: Suspect connected to Charlotte shooting arrested after SWAT situation in Concord)
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