A quiet North Carolina community woke up to a nightmare Sunday morning after three people were found dead inside a camper — and hours later, a suspect was taken into custody following a tense standoff.
Deputies rushed to a property on Melinda Road in Pembroke around 6:39 a.m. on March 22 after reports that two people had been discovered dead inside a camper. But when authorities arrived, the situation was even worse than expected.
Inside, they found a third victim.
The victims have been identified as 28-year-old Triston Goins, 51-year-old Howard Dean Jones, and 35-year-old Ashley N. Jacobs — all from nearby North Carolina communities.
Investigators quickly launched a manhunt that ended later that same day.
Authorities say 27-year-old Ethan Lee Spaulding was arrested after a short standoff at an apartment complex in Red Springs. He now faces a long list of serious charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and discharging a weapon inside an enclosure to incite fear.
He is currently being held without bond, and it’s unclear if he has obtained legal representation.
Officials are calling the case a devastating act of violence.
“This arrest marks a significant step toward justice in what is a truly senseless and tragic triple homicide,” Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a statement, praising investigators for their relentless work and thanking the community for its patience.
The sheriff also pointed to a deeper issue fueling the violence.
According to Wilkins, illegal drugs continue to play a major role in crimes like this across the county, warning that the damage is spreading through families and neighborhoods.
“No community deserves to live in fear,” he said.
Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are now assisting in the ongoing investigation as authorities work to piece together exactly what led to the deadly scene inside the camper.
Anyone with information is being urged to contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.