ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The two defendants charged in the deaths of three members of a Fairview family are scheduled to return to court June 4 for a procedural hearing as the case continues through early pretrial proceedings.

Star Grant, 16, and Devan Loving, 28, each face three counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of Travis Grant, Kimberly Grant and Sharon Grant. Loving also faces an additional charge of abduction of a child, a charge involving a victim under 18 under North Carolina law.

Both defendants waived extradition from Tennessee and have been returned to North Carolina. Grant is being prosecuted as an adult and is being held without bond in a juvenile detention facility. Loving is being held without bond at the Buncombe County jail.

What the June 4 hearing means

The June 4 court date is a disposition hearing in Loving’s pending criminal cases in Buncombe County Superior Court. Despite the name, it is not a trial or sentencing but a procedural step used to address the status of the case.

In felony prosecutions, such hearings are typically used as case-management checkpoints while discovery and pretrial motions continue. Courts may use the proceedings to address scheduling, review the status of evidence and resolve procedural issues before trial.

Grant’s related probable-cause hearing is also scheduled for June 4.

Unless additional filings are made, the hearings are expected to be the next significant public court activity in the case as it remains in its early stages.

Allegations presented in court

During initial appearances, prosecutors said the three victims were shot and then stabbed inside the family’s Fairview home. Prosecutors also said the defendants took wallets and a firearm from the residence before leaving North Carolina.

According to statements made in court, Grant and Loving later spoke with investigators and admitted involvement in the killings. A motive has not been publicly disclosed.

Family concerns and unanswered questions

Family members have said they believe Grant may have been groomed or manipulated by Loving, noting that Grant’s parents had recently learned of an alleged relationship between the two and attempted to intervene before the killings. Prosecutors have not publicly addressed those claims.

The motive, planning timeline and decision-making behind the killings have not been made public and are expected to emerge later through discovery and pretrial motions.

Prior case history for Loving

Court records show Loving was charged in an unrelated 2018 Asheville case involving misdemeanor simple assault following a March 2018 incident. He was released on a written promise to appear, and the case was later dismissed in December 2018 without a plea agreement.

What comes next

Prosecutors have indicated Loving could face capital murder prosecution because he was an adult at the time of the killings. Grant is ineligible for the death penalty because of her age at the time of the deaths.

For now, the June 4 hearings are expected to serve as procedural checkpoints as the case moves through discovery, motion practice and scheduling toward a potential trial.

Read more

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