For more than a decade, the disappearance of 18-year-old Sara Graham remained one of Robeson County’s most haunting unsolved cases. On February 4, 2015, Sara left her family home in Fairmont, North Carolina, just after 6:30 a.m., heading to her job at Walmart. She never arrived. The white van she was driving was later found abandoned in a field — and Sara was never seen again.
Now, after years of silence, arrests have finally been made — and the accused killer is someone who lived under the same roof as the victim.
Connie Graham, 65, Sara’s stepmother, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the teenager’s presumed death. Sara Graham was legally declared dead on June 1, after North Carolina law allowed her to be presumed deceased following seven years without contact. Her body has never been found.
What makes this case even more disturbing is what allegedly happened after the killing. Police say Connie Graham did not act alone in covering up the crime. Her two adult sons — 42-year-old Bobby Matthew McLellan and 29-year-old Luke Locklear — were arrested on charges of conspiracy and altering or destroying evidence. McLellan faces an additional charge of accessory after the fact, with a warrant alleging he helped dispose of human remains. Locklear is accused of burning evidence.
The case took a new turn in 2023, when the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and FBI launched a fresh search of Connie Graham’s property following new leads. At the time of Sara’s disappearance, Connie Graham was serving as a deputy with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. She was fired after her stepdaughter went missing.
Sara’s father, Hubert Graham — himself a former deputy and now chief of the Rowland Police Department — had long insisted his daughter was still alive. He made that claim publicly just days after Sara was declared legally dead.
All three defendants are scheduled to return to court on July 2. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the location of Sara Graham’s remains.
If you have information about Sara Graham’s disappearance or the location of her remains, contact the FBI tip line. A $5,000 reward is being offered.
