Lincoln County man pleads guilty to wife’s murder

Escape FILE PHOTO: Officials said that 10 inmates were able to escape because of help from a jail maintenance worker. (Iurii Gagarin - stock.adobe.com)

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — A Lincoln County man has pleaded guilty to second degree murder for killing his wife.

Prosecutors say 70-year-old Clarence Dobbs Pinckney entered the plea Thursday.

Clarence Pinckney

In January 2025, police say he called 911 and confessed to killing his wife, Elizabeth Pinckney, after beating her inside their home along Lee Lawing Road.

[ READ MORE >> Suspect arrested in Lincoln County after domestic dispute leads to deadly beating, deputies say ]

He has been sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in prison.

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