Lakyn Jade Bailey, a 25-year-old woman from Davidson, North Carolina, was found dead on January 27, 2019, with a gunshot wound. The incident occurred early in the morning at the Country Cupboard convenience store on Statesville Boulevard in Salisbury, North Carolina. Bailey was discovered in a vehicle driven by her friend, Jason Donald Cranfill, who later faced charges of felony possession of methamphetamine.
Investigators determined that Bailey had been shot elsewhere and her body was driven to the store. The Rowan County Sheriff's Office, along with the State Bureau of Investigation, Salisbury Police Department, Statesville Police Department, Kannapolis Police Department, and Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office, were involved in the investigation.
The investigation revealed that Bailey had been involved in illegal drug sales at a motel in Statesville, North Carolina. The shooting was the result of a drug deal that turned violent. Two individuals were charged in connection with Bailey's murder. James Christopher Rife, a 36-year-old man from Cleveland, North Carolina, was charged with murder and attempted robbery. Rife was already in jail on unrelated charges when he was identified as a person of interest in the case. He remains in the Rowan County Detention Center without bond. Joshua Wade Kennedy, a 35-year-old registered sex offender from West Virginia, was also charged with murder and attempted robbery. Kennedy had been living in Iredell County, North Carolina, at the time of the incident. He, too, remains in jail without bond.
The investigation into Bailey's murder is ongoing, with law enforcement agencies continuing to follow leads in both Statesville and Rowan County. The case highlights the dangers associated with illegal drug activities and the tragic consequences that can result from violent confrontations.
