Richard Alexander Hardin is in custody, his brother Gatlin Ray Hardin is wanted in connection to the Oct. 31 shooting death of Stephen Locklear. LUMBERTON — One suspect has been charged and now Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Investigators are seeking his brother in connection to a 2023 shooting death. On Oct. 31, at about 1:59 p.m., Robeson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 600 block of Back Swamp Road, outside of Lumberton in reference to an unresponsive individual, according to a statement released over the weekend from the sheriff’s office.
“Upon the arrival of the deputies, Stephen Locklear, 38, of Lumberton was found deceased in his residence,” according to the statement.
A year later, on Aug. 15, Richard Alexander Hardin, 32, of Red Springs was charged with first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, and discharging a weapon within an enclosure to incite fear, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. “At the time of his arrest, Richard Hardin was in the custody of the Robeson County Detention Center on unrelated charges,” the statement reads. “Richard Hardin was not given a bond on the current charges.”
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is now seeking Gatlin Ray Hardin, 29, of St. Pauls for the felony offenses of first-degree murder, felony conspiracy and discharging a weapon within an enclosure to incite fear. “The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division is investigating the case,” sheriff’s official stated. “Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Gatlin Hardin or the case is asked to call the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-671-3170 or 910-671-3100.”
“Under our system of justice, every person is presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law,” read a statement on the sheriff’s office social media page. “The information contained in this post is not intended to be an expression of opinion regarding guilt. The views and opinions expressed by private citizens who may comment on this post are not adopted by and do not reflect the official policy or position of this law enforcement agency.”
Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office stated that it does not issue or determine bond amounts. “This is done through a judicial official, such as a judge or magistrate, as per N.C. General Statute 15A-532. Many factors are considered when determining bond amounts,” the Sheriff’s Office stated.
https://cdn.myocv.com/ocvapps/a92228358/files/66bfda68351cd-IMG_3153.jpegShared from the Robeson County Sheriff NC app at https://apps.myocv.com/share/a92228358
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