A quiet North Carolina community is in shock after a 16-year-old girl was accused of carrying out a horrifying triple murder that left her parents and grandmother dead inside their family home before she allegedly fled across state lines with a 28-year-old man.
Authorities say the disturbing case unfolded in Fairview, North Carolina, where deputies conducted a welfare check at a home on the evening of May 7. Inside, investigators discovered Travis Grant, 41, his wife Kimberly Grant, 42, and 66-year-old Sharon Grant all dead from gunshot wounds.
What made the scene even more alarming was that the Grants’ teenage daughter, Star Grant, was nowhere to be found.
Investigators quickly began searching for the missing teen, and less than 24 hours later, authorities tracked her down in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She was reportedly found in a hotel room alongside 28-year-old Devan Loving after police spotted a vehicle connected to the teen parked outside.
Now, both Star Grant and Loving are facing first-degree murder charges, along with felony conspiracy to commit murder charges. Despite being just 16 years old, Star is being charged as an adult.
Police have not publicly revealed a motive, but investigators say interviews conducted after the pair’s arrest led directly to the shocking charges.
According to reports, authorities believe the three victims may have been dead for several days before deputies finally entered the home. Earlier welfare checks had reportedly been requested on May 4 and May 6, but investigators said they did not yet have enough evidence to legally force entry into the residence.
“A lot of facts became clear at the time of the third welfare check,” Buncombe County Sheriff’s Captain Dustan Auldredge reportedly explained, saying the situation eventually reached the level of an emergency.
As more details emerge, the case has become even more unsettling.
Court records cited by local outlets show that Travis Grant officially adopted Star in 2019. Family members also reportedly claimed the teen had been communicating secretly with an older man who allegedly gave her a burner phone. Relatives said Travis had previously attempted to file a restraining order against the individual, though authorities have not confirmed whether that person was Devan Loving.
Star Grant is currently being held at a juvenile detention center in Tennessee, while Loving remains in custody at the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. Both suspects are expected to face extradition hearings before being transported back to North Carolina.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said investigators and deputies have worked around the clock since the bodies were discovered.
“We would like to express our condolences to the family of these victims,” the department said in a statement, adding that many members of the investigative team had barely slept while working the case.
The investigation remains ongoing.