ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Buncombe County teen accused of killing three relatives did not appear in court Monday as planned, postponing an initial procedural hearing in a case that continues to draw close attention across Western North Carolina.
Star Melody Grant, 16, and co-defendant Devan O’Neal Loving, 28, were scheduled to appear Monday in Buncombe County Superior Court as the case enters its early post-indictment phase.
Grant faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony conspiracy in connection with the May 1 deaths of her father, Travis Eugene Grant; her mother, Kimberly Michelle Grant; and her grandmother, Sharon Harwood Grant. Loving has also been indicted on first-degree murder charges.
A Buncombe County grand jury returned indictments against both defendants June 2, about a month after investigators say the three victims were found shot and stabbed inside a home in Fairview.
Monday’s hearing was expected to be a routine first appearance in Superior Court following indictment, a procedural step in which defendants are formally advised of the charges, informed of their rights and future court dates are set.
The hearing did not take place as scheduled.
Attorney Kerry Glasoe-Grant, who represents Loving, said at the courthouse the appearance marked the first court setting after indictment and that the case remains in its early stages.
“It’s just the first setting … the first court date after indictment,” she said, adding she expects the matter could be rescheduled for sometime in September, noting “there’s a lot going on on that case.”
Attorney Doug Edwards, who represents Grant, said the proceeding remains procedural and at an early stage in the court process.
“It’s just a procedural hearing … the first appearance in Superior Court on the indictments that were returned,” Edwards said in a phone interview. “It’s just procedural in nature.”
He said logistical issues, including transportation, contributed to the hearing not moving forward Monday. Edwards also said the case remains in what he described as a “holding pattern” as attorneys receive discovery from prosecutors and conduct their own investigations.
“There’s nothing out of the norm,” he said, adding that the court is in session this week and the matter could be rescheduled at any time.
Edwards noted the first appearance does not involve entering a plea, but instead ensures defendants are advised of counsel rights and that the case is formally placed on the court docket for future proceedings.
For now, he said, both sides are continuing early case preparation, with additional court dates expected to be set later.