2 more charged in homicide case where body was found in Nantahala National Forest

Ryan Oehrli, Asheville Citizen Times
·1 min read
Alison Thomas.
Alison Thomas.

ASHEVILLE - Two more people have been charged and arrested in a case where a woman's body was found in the Nantahala National Forest, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office.

In a March 23 Facebook post, the Sheriff's Office announced that the U.S. Marshals Service had arrested 29-year-old Shawn Adkins of West Virginia. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder, according to the Sheriff's Office.

On March 31, "Law enforcement personnel from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39-year-old William Mulenex of Brevard" in connection to the case, according to another post from the Sheriff's Office. He was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Two other suspects in the case, who were arrested earlier in the investigation, all face first-degree murder charges now, the Sheriff's Office said.

"All suspects charged and arrested in this case remain in custody at this time," the March 31 post said.

Past reporting: Missing woman found dead in Nantahala National Forest; homicide suspected

More: Asheville police: Violent crime up across city, property crime down in 2022

The two new arrests bring the total number to five announced.

The Sheriff's Office has said that Alison Thomas, 37, was last seen on Feb. 13 on Flint Ridge Road in northeastern Union County. Deputies, detectives and crime scene detectives began investigating her disappearance on Feb. 17, the day it was reported, according to the agency. She was found dead in the Nantahala National Forest, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Ryan Oehrli covers public safety, breaking news, courts and other beats for the Citizen Times. Comments? Questions? Tips? Send them to coehrli@citizentimes.com or 252-944-6816. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 2 more charged in Nantahala National Forest homicide case