Lumberton police and the FBI are again turning up the volume on a case that has haunted the city since 2017, renewing a public push for answers in the deaths of Christina “Kristin” Bennett, Rhonda Jones and Megan Oxendine. The women were all found dead within a few blocks of one another in Lumberton that year, and investigators say the case is still active, with families continuing to press for closure.
According to a news release from the FBI, the Charlotte Field Office has now increased the reward to up to $75,000 for information that leads to finding and arresting whoever is responsible. Agents emphasized that the investigations are not considered cold and pointed out that all three women were discovered within roughly a four-block radius in 2017. They are again asking anyone with information to speak up.
Local coverage has outlined what is publicly known about the timeline. Christina “Kristin” Bennett and Rhonda Jones were found on April 18, 2017, with Bennett discovered inside a house on Peachtree Street and Jones found outside a nearby home, according to WECT. A few blocks away, on June 3, 2017, the remains of Megan Oxendine were recovered. The tight clustering of those scenes has complicated the investigative timeline and pushed law enforcement to lean heavily on interviews, witness reports and door-to-door canvassing.
Investigators Seek Community Help
Lumberton Police Chief Michael McNeill has been blunt that solving the case will likely require people in the community to come forward. He said the department "will utilize every possible resource to uncover the facts" and that "these women deserve justice," according to WMBF. Investigators are again urging anyone who had contact with Bennett, Jones or Oxendine in the days leading up to their deaths to reach out, including those who prefer to remain anonymous.
Forensics and What’s Known
For medical examiners, the case has been especially tough. Examiners have not been able to determine definitive causes of death for any of the three women, in part because of the level of decomposition when their bodies were found, the Robesonian reported. That limitation blunted the impact of toxicology testing and forced detectives to focus more on field work and witness information, a hurdle that has contributed to the lack of arrests so far.
How To Share Tips
Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI's toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or contact the Lumberton Police Department directly at (910) 671-3845, according to the FBI. The FBI Charlotte office has also released a short video appeal on its Facebook page as part of the renewed push, and that reel is embedded above.
