BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Tasha Lewis and Jamar Propst face first-degree murder charges in the shooting deaths of Raheim and Carla Murray. Search warrants filed in Burke County indicate the motive for the killings was a $75,000 inheritance Murray had recently received.
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The investigation began at Benfield Park near Glen Alpine after an employee discovered two shovels partially covered by debris. Authorities later located the couple’s bodies buried along a nature trail within the park.
The Murrays were shot while they slept inside their home. Following the burial, court documents say Propst and Lewis moved into the victims’ residence with their children. Propst also allegedly took possession of the couple’s cellphones.
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Investigators allege that Propst used the victims’ faces post-mortem to bypass facial recognition security on the devices. This allowed him to unlock the phones and change their passcodes. After gaining access, the suspects are accused of transferring $19,000 from Murray’s Cash App account.
Much of the information regarding the motive and the use of the victims’ cellphones was obtained after investigators interviewed Propst. Both suspects recently appeared before a judge in connection with the case. Propst and Lewis remain charged with first-degree murder.