Three arrested, charged in murder of North Carolina man missing since 2021, Scotland County deputies say

SCOTLAND COUNTY, NC (WBTW) — Three people are facing murder charges in connection with the 2021 disappearance of Brandon Carl Wayne McDonald, the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday.

Michael Anthony “Blue” Bethea Jr., 32, Shelena Lynn Clark, 37, and LaKeithan “Joe” JuJuan Tyson, 25, have all been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and concealing death.

All three will appear in Scotland County Court for the first time on Monday at 9am.

A joint task force from the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has been working the case since McDonald was last seen leaving his Clarkton home on March 25, 2021, en route to Laurinburg.

In May, detectives began investigating the case again.

“After countless hours of continued investigation and new information generated, the investigation began to shift from a missing person to a homicide investigation,” authorities said in a statement.

This development led to the Public Prosecution Service of Scotland providing resources to support the taskforce.

According to The Charley Project, a website that tracks missing persons, McDonald left his home around 3 a.m. without saying where he was going. His cell phone last pinged near Cooper Street in Laurinburg.

At 7:10 a.m., McDonald called his father to say he would be home in an hour, but he was never heard from again. His wrecked pickup truck was found abandoned in Hope Mills — about 37 miles from Laurinburg.

“We are grateful to the many law enforcement agencies, search and rescue teams, dog squads, fire departments and emergency services who have dedicated countless hours over the past three years to assisting with the investigation,” the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“Additionally, we are grateful to the family and friends of Brandon Carl Wayne McDonald who never stopped pursuing justice for him,” the department said.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. E. Haywood at (910) 276-3385, the NCSBI at (800) 334-3000 or Scotland County Crimestoppers at (910) 266-8146.