On the night of June 16, 2023, at approximately 11 p.m., deputies from the McDowell County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported gunshot on Salvage Drive in Old Fort, North Carolina. Upon arrival, they discovered 29-year-old Robert Dylan Branch deceased from a gunshot wound.
Investigators quickly identified 50-year-old Raquel Leal Dillon Lowery, a neighbor who shared the same property as Branch, as the primary suspect.
Authorities believe the shooting resulted from an argument between the two. Lowery was promptly taken into custody and charged with murder. She is currently being held without bond.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Branch's death remains ongoing, with no additional details released at this time.
