LUMBERTON, NORTH CAROLINA – A married couple on their way to enjoy a beach vacation were attacked on Interstate 95 in Robeson County near Lumberton. During the incident, the woman was fatally shot, leaving the husband to raise their six children alone.
Deputies were dispatched to the area of the Mile Marker 23 on I-95 South just before noon. Upon arrival, they discovered that the female passenger in a vehicle had suffered gunshot wounds after another driver shot into the passenger door. Investigators learned that the victim’s vehicle came close to the suspect’s vehicle while merging into a lane, leading the suspect to pull up beside the victim’s car and open fire.
The victim, Julie Eberly, 47, of Mannheim, Pennsylvania was taken to UNC Southeastern Hospital where she later died. The couple’s six children were staying with their grandparents in Pennsylvania when the incident occurred.
In a prepared statement, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said, “This was an innocent family from Pennsylvania headed to the beach for a vacation. Thankfully, they had left their six children at home with grandparents but now these kids have to live with the thought of their mother being murdered on in such a cowardly and senseless way. My heart goes out to this family and I ask that everyone reading this stop and pray for this entire family.”
The suspect vehicle was last seen traveling south on I-95 to Exit 22 and is thought to be a 2010 model silver or grey Chevrolet Malibu or Impala with dark-tinted windows and chrome around the window frame.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating the vehicle and/or suspect. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at (910) 671-3170.
A GoFundMe page has been established by the family.
