A Seagrove man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2021 murder of Debbie Jo Owens.
Jimmy Dale Sheffield received the sentence September 15 in Moore County Superior Court. The sentence followed a first-degree murder conviction, according to Moore County District Attorney Mike Hardin.
Owens was Sheffield’s girlfriend and lived with him in an upstairs bedroom at a home on Chriscoe Road in West Seagrove. She was last seen alive May 2, 2021. A family member found her body beneath a bed on May 27 after Owens and Sheffield had not reported to work for several days.
Investigators said several of Owens’ personal belongings were missing from the home, including her debit cards, phone and wallet. Detectives later reviewed bank records and surveillance video from stores and gas stations. Prosecutors said that evidence showed Owens’ card was used for purchases and cash withdrawals after her death.
Sheffield was later taken into custody while riding in a taxicab in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Authorities reported finding more than $2,500 in his wallet. Searches of his hotel room and vehicle also produced merchandise and receipts connected to transactions made with Owens’ bank card.
Superior Court Judge Warren McSweeney heard victim-impact evidence from Owens’ family before imposing the life-without-parole sentence.
The District Attorney’s Office credited the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Myrtle Beach Police Department for their work on the case.
Source: Sandhills Sentinel, citing the Moore County District Attorney’s Office.
