Laura Ackerson murder case
Grant Ruffin Hayes and his wife, Amanda Perry Hayes, were each charged with first-degree murder on July 25, 2011, for the death of his ex-girlfriend, Laura Jean Ackerson. Ackerson, 27, of Kinston, was last seen alive in Raleigh on July 13, 2011, and her dismembered remains were discovered 11 days later in a creek about 60 miles south of Houston, Texas.
Grant Hayes, who pleaded not guilty to the crime, went to trial in the case on Aug. 26, 2013, and was found guilty of first-degree murder on Sept. 16, 2013. Amanda Hayes was convicted of second-degree murder Feb. 19, 2014