LUMBERTON — Three people have been arrested and charged with the murder of a 76-year-old Lumberton woman whose body was found early this week when firefighters and police responded to a fire at her home on Godwin Avenue.
They also are all charged with burglary, arson and other crimes in the death of Annette Hendren Ivey, whose body was found about 10 p.m. Tuesday. The fire was small and quickly contained.
According to Lumberton police, Kevin Hammonds, 25, of 308 Old Whiteville Road, Apt. 1, Lumberton, and Maribel Christina Cain, 24, of 166 Summer Lane, Lumberton, each face the same 10 charges: first-degree murder; first-degree burglary; felony conspiracy; armed robbery; first-degree arson; larceny of a motor vehicle; possession of stolen property; financial card theft; obtaining property by false pretense; and identity theft.
Lorie Lynn Sampson, 38, also of 166 Summer Lane, Lumberton, is charged with first-degree murder; first-degree burglary; felony conspiracy; armed robbery; first-degree arson; and larceny of a motor vehicle.
All three are in the Robeson County jail under no bond on the murder charges, and $1 million bond each on the other charges. They are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Ivey lived with three others in her home at 1201 Godwin Ave., according to neighbors. She was a widow.
The modest, single-story home with green shutters and white siding is about 450 feet away from the Lumberton Police Department, located at 1305 Godwin Ave. There was no visible evidence on the exterior of the fire on Wednesday.
That day several neighbors spoke to The Robesonian about Ivey, remembering her as a kind, generous homebody. They spoke on the condition their names not be used.
“She never bothered nobody,” said a 12th Street resident. “She didn’t bother a soul, that’s why I couldn’t believe it.”
Two of them said Wednesday they heard what they thought were gunshots Tuesday night, but police hahaves not said how Ivey died.
Neighbors also voiced concern about the amount of traffic around the house on a weekly basis.
The State Bureau of Investigation assisted police in the investigation.
