DA’s office ups charge in 2022 Oak Island murder
Editor's note: This story contains graphic material.
The man accused of killing a 50-year-old woman at a Brunswick County home last fall is now facing a higher charge.
Kevin Michael Allen Vaughan, 56, was arrested on Oct, 1, 2022, after Tina Sedberry Carlton was found stabbed to death in a home on Minnesota Drive in Oak Island's South Harbor Village early that same morning.
Law enforcement deemed the incident a domestic-violence homicide and charged Vaughan with second-degree murder.
According to court records, Vaughan’s charge was later changed to first-degree murder.
North Carolina state statute defines first-degree murder as a willful, deliberate and premeditated killing. In North Carolina, second-degree murder is defined as an intentional killing without premeditation.
New details: Autopsy reveals victim in Oak Island killing suffered multiple stab wounds
With the case still pending in Brunswick County Superior Court, Ashley Bullard, executive assistant to Jon David, district attorney for Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties, said the district attorney’s office could not comment on the facts of the case.
Bullard added it is not uncommon for charges to change during an investigation into an alleged crime or after an investigation has been completed. New or developing evidence can lead officials to elevate, change or add charges, she said.
The punishment for a first-degree murder conviction in North Carolina is death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
According to her obituary, Carlton was a nurse of 28 years and mother of three daughters. In the months following her death, the small coastal community rallied around Carlton’s family. A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $33,000 for Carlton’s family and funeral expenses.
Oak Island police responded to a request for a welfare check at 5172 Minnesota Drive in South Harbor Village just before 1 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. There, they found Carlton dead from an apparent stab wound. Vaughan was also at the scene, officials said.
STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Carlton’s autopsy was released earlier this year by the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner’s office. The report concluded Carlton’s cause of death was sharp force injuries to the neck.
According to the report, Carlton sustained multiple sharp force injuries to the head, neck, torso and extremities. The most significant injury the report details was a deep cut across the neck.
The autopsy report also identifies Vaughan as Carlton’s boyfriend.
According to Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office records, Vaughan remains in custody awaiting trial. He’s being held under a $1 million bond, and his trial date has not yet been set.
Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Suspect in 2022 Oak Island killing faces first-degree murder charge
