Man killed his uncle and buried the body in victim's own backyard after torching human remains in a burn pit

A North Carolina antheral volition walk respective decades down bars for killing his septuagenarian uncle and past trying to fell the victim's assemblage successful his ain backyard, authorities announced this week.

On Thursday, Stephen Eric Buchanan, 40, pleaded blameworthy to 1 number each of murder successful the 2nd degree, concealment of death, and possession of a firearm by a felon implicit the summertime 2024 sidesplitting of 72-year-old Charles Knight. The suspect besides pleaded blameworthy to 4 counts of obtaining spot by mendacious pretense.

The suspect was subsequently sentenced to 51 to 63 years successful situation by Rowan County Superior Court Judge Michael S. Adkins.

On Aug. 4, 2024, instrumentality enforcement conducted a payment cheque connected Knight astatine his residence connected Johnstone Road successful Cleveland – a tiny municipality located immoderate 45 miles owed northbound of Charlotte.

There, Cleveland Police Department officers recovered Knight's remains successful the backyard. The unfortunate was partially buried, according to Charlotte-based NBC affiliate WCNC. Some of Knight's remains, however, were besides recovered successful a pain pit, according to the Salisbury Post.

A warrant was issued for Buchanan's apprehension 4 days later, and helium was arrested connected Aug. 12, 2024, Rowan County tribunal records show.

In September 2024, the defendant's member told a quality outlet based successful the United Kingdom that helium was the 1 who called constabulary aft not seeing their uncle for respective days and past seeing his member utilizing their uncle's car.

"I asked Stephen wherever our uncle was, and helium told maine helium was successful Louisiana," the member told the Daily Express. "He had been going to gait income and selling my uncle's things. I got a telephone from my uncle's neighbour 1 time who said determination was a occurrence burning for 3 days and they could odor a dormant animal."

That study was origin for concern.

"I went to my uncle's plot to cheque retired the occurrence and I recovered quality remains successful the pit," the since-sentenced man's member continued.

The probe yet identified Buchanan arsenic the pb suspect. He was archetypal apprehended connected outstanding warrants successful South Carolina and past extradited backmost to the Tar Heel State.

The convicted killer's motive and the victim's origin of decease stay unclear.

After the arrest, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was the pb bureau connected the case. In a connection announcing the court's sentencing decision, the bureau thanked their partners.

"The SBI is arrogant of the large enactment by the men and women of the SBI, the Cleveland Police Department, and the Rowan County Sheriff's Office for thoroughly investigating this lawsuit and bringing closure to the household of the victim," the bureau said.