2 charged with murder after man’s death in Lincolnton, sheriff says

Nearly two years after a 37-year-old man was found dead in Lincolnton, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says two suspects have been arrested and charged with murder.

The sheriff’s office announced the arrests on Friday in connection with the death of William Buster McCarter, who was found dead in July 2021. At the time, deputies were called to a suspicious vehicle in a wooded area near Smith Farm Road; when they searched the area with a K-9, they found McCarter’s body.

According to investigators, detectives arrested 31-year-old Madison Dawn Lail of Maiden after an interview on Thursday. Authorities then found a second suspect, identified as 38-year-old Thomas Wayne Mathis, in Lancaster County, South Carolina. Mathis was set to be extradited back to North Carolina on Friday.

SEE MORE: Man dies after being struck by vehicle in Lincolnton, troopers say

LCSO says Lail and Mathis are both being charged with first-degree murder.

The sheriff’s office said this was some sort of conspiracy and that the two suspects worked together, but it’s not clear what led to McCarter’s killing.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

(WATCH BELOW: Driver dies after car crashes, lands upside down in water, Lincolnton police say)