Robeson County Sheriff's Office sees increase in homicides in 2018

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office has had a busy 2018, investigating 25 homicides. That’s the highest number in the past few years.

News13 obtained the numbers from the Sheriff’s Office Monday. Of the 25 homicides within the county’s jurisdiction, one is considered a suspicious death that is pending an autopsy.

In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office investigated 18 homicides, one of which remains unsolved.

In 2016, 23 homicides were investigated by the department, three of which remain unsolved.

Among the homicides in 2018, a 19-year-old was accused in a shooting in Shannon back in July.

Also in July, a man was killed during a birthday party at his home in Shannon.

Two of the 2018 homicides remain unsolved as of December 31.

In early December, new sheriff Burnis Wilkins announced the formation of a Cold Case/Missing Persons Unit to help families still looking for answers in various cases.

This came around the time that the man accused of kidnapping and killing Hania Aguilar was charged.

The Hania case was one of six homicides handled by the Lumberton Police Department in 2018, according to Capt. Terry Parker. These are separate from the homicides reported above, which are being handled by the sheriff’s office.

In 2017, the department investigated 5 homicides within city limits. Capt. Parker says that does not include the three women found dead from April through early June, because there have not been causes of death determined for those women.

Here is a look at how many homicides the Lumberton Police Department handled in the years prior to that: