Maxton Man Charged With Triple Homicide After Three Found Dead in Prospect Camper

Ethan Lee Spaulding, 27, of Maxton, now faces three first-degree murder charges after the bodies of Triston Goins, Howard Dean Jones, and Ashley N. Jacobs were discovered inside a camper at 1141 Melinda Road, just north of Prospect, early on the morning of March 23. Deputies responding around 6:39 a.m. had been dispatched in reference to two deceased individuals; upon arrival, they found a third body inside the same camper.

By 10:30 that night, Spaulding was in custody. Robeson County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested him after a short standoff at the Robinwood Apartments in Red Springs, where the department's Negotiations Team was deployed. Spaulding exited the apartment and surrendered.

In addition to three counts of first-degree murder, Spaulding was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and discharging a weapon within an enclosure to incite fear. He is being held without bond at the Robeson County Detention Center.

The three victims ranged in age from 28 to 51. Goins, 28, was also from Maxton; Jones, 51, was from Lumberton; and Jacobs, 35, was from Pembroke. No motive has been released in charging documents, though Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins publicly framed the killings within a pattern he has tracked across the county.

"This arrest marks a significant step toward justice in what is a truly senseless and tragic triple homicide in the Prospect community outside of Pembroke," Wilkins said. "I commend our investigators for their tireless work, and unwavering commitment to bringing this suspect into custody, and also thank the community for their patience and cooperation."

Wilkins then connected the scene at Melinda Road to Robeson County's broader narcotics crisis. "Unfortunately, this case is yet another example of a pattern we continue to see; drugs playing a major role in violent crime within our county. The destruction caused by illegal narcotics continues to impact families and communities across Robeson County, and we will not let up in our efforts to combat it."

Spaulding's criminal record includes a 2015 armed robbery conviction for which he served nearly four years in prison. At the time of his arrest he also carried pending charges for larceny and resisting arrest. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is now assisting Robeson County investigators, a development that signals potential federal interest in the weapons and organized-crime dimensions of the case.

The matter moves next through magistrate and superior court, with three first-degree murder charges carrying the prospect of severe sentences if convictions are obtained.