Authorities said Star Grant and Devan Oneal Loving were found in a Gatlinburg motel after the Fairview killings.
FAIRVIEW, NC — A 16-year-old girl and a 28-year-old man have been charged with murder after deputies found three members of the girl’s family shot dead at a western North Carolina home, authorities said.
The case moved toward North Carolina court this week after Star Grant and Devan Oneal Loving waived extradition in Tennessee. Both are charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of Travis Eugene Grant, 41, Kimberly Michelle Grant, 42, and Sharon Harwood Grant, 66. Loving also faces an abduction charge because Grant is a juvenile, authorities said.
Deputies with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office went to 18 Ashworth Drive in Fairview at about 7:15 p.m. May 7 for a welfare check after relatives said they had not heard from the family. Inside the home, deputies found Travis Grant, his wife, Kimberly Grant, and Travis Grant’s mother, Sharon Grant, dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators soon determined that Star Grant, the daughter of Travis and Kimberly Grant, lived at the home and was missing. Sheriff’s officials said deputies had gone to the home for welfare checks on May 4 and May 6 but did not have enough information at those times to force entry. The third check ended with the discovery of the bodies and a search that crossed state lines.
Authorities said investigators learned Grant may have been in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with Loving. At about 4 a.m. May 8, a vehicle linked to the missing teen was found outside a Motel 6 on Ownby Street in Gatlinburg. Officers with the Gatlinburg Police Department entered the room later that morning with help from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and took both suspects into custody without incident. Gatlinburg Police Chief Ronnie Barrett said officers watched the room before entering. “We were in touch with authorities in North Carolina,” Barrett said, adding that North Carolina officers had described the two as people of interest. Barrett said officers found the two in the motel room and separated them. Investigators believe Grant and Loving had been in Tennessee for several days.
Court records cited in the case say the killings may have happened days before the bodies were found. An initial arrest warrant says Grant helped plan the killings with Loving, according to court documents. Authorities have not released a full timeline of when the victims died, and officials have not announced a motive. They also have not confirmed the nature of the relationship between Grant and Loving. Star Grant was adopted by Travis Grant in 2019, according to court records cited in local reports. Travis and Kimberly Grant were married, and Sharon Grant was Travis Grant’s mother. Buncombe County officials said Grant is being charged as an adult because of the severity of the allegations. First-degree murder is the most serious homicide charge under North Carolina law.
Loving appeared May 11 before a judge in Sevier County, Tennessee. During the hearing, Judge Albert Snyder told Loving he was wanted in North Carolina on kidnapping and murder counts. “You understand you are wanted over in North Carolina for kidnapping and then three counts of murder,” the judge said. Loving answered, “Yes, sir,” and said he thought he should return to North Carolina. Snyder ordered Loving held without bond and appointed a public defender. Loving was being held on a fugitive from justice charge in Tennessee, a court step used when a person is wanted in another state. Star Grant was held in a juvenile facility in Sevier County. By May 12, authorities said both suspects had waived extradition, clearing the way for their return to Buncombe County.
The deaths shook Fairview, a community east of Asheville in the mountains of Buncombe County. People who knew Loving told a local television station they were stunned by the accusations. One person who said he knew Loving from the community described him as “nerdy” and “goofy” in younger years and said the charges did not match the person he remembered. Loving attended local Buncombe County schools, including Cane Creek Middle School, and later attended A.C. Reynolds High School, according to people familiar with him. The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office has said there is no known ongoing threat to the public. Investigators have not said whether they recovered a weapon, whether other people are being investigated or whether they believe anyone else helped the pair after they left North Carolina.
Authorities said transport arrangements from Tennessee to North Carolina were being made, but no exact return date had been announced as of Wednesday. Once back in Buncombe County, Grant and Loving are expected to face court proceedings on the murder and conspiracy charges tied to the three deaths.
Author note: Last updated May 13, 2026.