Kayla Rose Bessette charged with murder in disappearance of Tony Maddox

CHARLOTTE — Police say a woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the suspicious death of a man who was reported missing from Lincolnton last month.

Channel 9 reported this week when 70-year-old Tony Maddox was found dead in a wooded area near Lincolnton. Authorities told us they were investigating his death as suspicious and that they had a person of interest.

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On Friday, Channel 9’s Ken Lemon learned that police are charging Kayla Rose Bessette with first-degree murder and common law robbery in connection with Maddox’s death.

Bessette has been in custody in Mecklenburg County for an unrelated aggravated assault charge since late May.

Maddox was reported missing on May 27 after being last seen on May 26.

The Lincolnton Police Department said on Friday that Bessette, 36, will be served arrest warrants for Maddox’s murder, and she’ll remain in custody in Mecklenburg County.

Kayla Rose Bessette, accused of murdering Tony Maddox — Kayla Rose Bessette

Bessette was linked to an attack in Charlotte that left a 79-year-old man seriously hurt just days after Maddox’s disappearance.

According to an affidavit obtained by Channel 9, on May 30, Bessette allegedly followed a man from the Food Lion on The Plaza and started asking him for money around 9 a.m.

She followed the victim home and then forced her way into his home and began to assault him, according to the affidavit. The victim in the May 30 incident said Bessette pushed him onto his bed and began to strangle him. She then went into his pocket, took all of his money, and left.

Bessette was caught at a bus stop near E. 35th Street, and her hands were bloody. The affidavit says she admitted to strangling the victim, and she “smiled with satisfaction” when she was asked if she intended to kill him.

We’re working on getting more details on the new charges in connection with Maddox’s killing. Watch Eyewitness News tonight for the latest updates.