Mysterious disappearance of hog farm worker in North Carolina leads to murder charge
A worker vanished from a North Carolina hog farm, sparking a mystery that officials said led to a murder charge.
David “Van” Alphin was in rubber boots and coveralls when he disappeared from the farm on Feb. 2, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said.
As officials searched for clues, the missing 35-year-old’s family offered a $5,000 reward in hopes someone would come forward, WNCN reported.
“This has been a lengthy investigation, where investigators have suspected malice from the on-set,” Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said Monday in a news release.
Though officials are still searching for Alphin’s body, they eventually found enough evidence to link a Clinton man to his presumed death, according to Lt. Marcus Smith.
Officials said James Eric House, 35, was arrested Monday and charged with murder in connection with the case. He was taken to the Sampson County jail and has a court date scheduled for April 16, records show.
A Facebook user believed to be House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. No attorney information was listed for him.
Sampson County is east of Fayetteville and is one of the top pork-producing areas in the state. Alphin, a hog farm laborer, was reported missing on Feb. 22, weeks after he was last spotted near Elwood Road, officials said.
The sheriff’s office said it continues to seek information about Alphin’s case and has urged people to call them at 910-592-4141.
“At this time, to protect the integrity of the on-going investigation we are unable to release any specifics as to what evidence has been located,” Smith said Monday in the news release. “We do pray the arrest begins to bring some closure to the Alphin family.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2021 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Mysterious disappearance of hog farm worker in North Carolina leads to murder charge."
