Charles Daniel "Chuck" Smith, a 37-year-old white male from Lowgap, North Carolina, was reported missing by his family on April 26, 2014. His body was discovered on May 21, 2014, in a shallow grave covered in cement inside an outbuilding on River Rat Lane in the Lowgap community. An autopsy revealed that Smith died from a gunshot wound. The investigation led to the arrest of four individuals: Robin Deanne Barnett, 29; Brian Keith Johnson, 50; Melody Denise Johnson, 46; and Ashtin Nichole
Matthews, 24. All four were charged with concealing and failing to report a death. Brian Johnson, Melody Johnson, and Ashtin Matthews were also charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. The suspected killer, Billy "Wayne" Johnson, 31, of Lowgap, died in a car crash on March 28, 2014. The investigation revealed that the four arrested individuals had helped Billy Johnson conceal Smith's death and dispose of his body. Brian and Melody Johnson lived at the River Rat Lane address where Smith's body was found. The case highlights the tragic circumstances surrounding Smith's death and the subsequent efforts to cover up the crime.
