Music teacher found dead in his yard. It’s being investigated as homicide, NC cops say
The death of a beloved music teacher is being investigated as a homicide, North Carolina officials say.
Marcus Deshawn Allen, 28, was found dead in his own front yard, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in an email.
Deputies say there were traumatic injuries on his body, which was discovered in Spring Lake on Sunday afternoon. The town is roughly 10 miles northwest of downtown Fayetteville.
News of the death has taken a toll on Allen’s family, reports ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner.
“For this to happen to him is tragic,” cousin Trent Holmes told the station. “We have lost a true talent and a true gift on this planet.”
Officials say Allen taught music at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Fayetteville.
“Mr. Allen was loved by his students and Mr. Allen loved our God,” the school wrote on Facebook. “He led many of us to grow in passion for expressing our faith through song. He will be sorely missed.”
Cornerstone in another Facebook post shared “I’ll Be Your Light,” a song that Allen wrote and helped to perform.
Allen’s body was sent to the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This is still very early in this investigation and we are being very careful about what information and how much information we release,” deputies said in their email to McClatchy News.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:35 PM.
