Crime

N.C. Woman Missing Since March Is Found Dead — and 3 Are Charged with Murder

Mary Collins, 20, was last seen on March 28, and her body was found on Saturday

Published on April 6, 2020 03:18 PM

Three people have been arrested and charged with murder in the death of a North Carolina woman who had been missing since March 28.

Mary Collins, 20, was last seen walking along a Charlotte road at 2:30 p.m. on March 28. She was believed to be heading to see friends in the northern part of the city.

But Collins never arrived to see her friends — and worried family members reported her missing two days later, on March 30. They told WBTV they feared for her safety because she had a cognitive disability.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department began investigating, and followed a tip to a home on Rollerton Road in a northeast suburb of Charlotte. At the home, they found the woman’s body on Saturday, April 4. The body was sent to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and identification.

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PEOPLE confirms that police arrested James Salerno, 20, Lavi Pham, 21, and Kelly Lavery, 24. They have all been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping. Police have not yet released an alleged motive in the slaying, and have not released a cause of death in the case.

The three suspects have been transferred to the Mecklenburg County Jail. They are being held without bond, and court records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on their behalf. They have not yet entered a plea.

Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.