Rocky Mount, N.C. — The girlfriend of a Rocky Mount man confessed to killing his wife while he was on a trip, according to search warrants released Monday.

Rose Vincent, 27, of Middlesex, and Mark Bowling, 35, of Rocky Mount, were charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Bowling's wife, Julie Bowling. The 45-year-old was found dead in the couple's home Friday morning. She was shot multiple times.

Investigators said phone records and interviews revealed that Vincent and Mark Bowling were having a romantic relationship and that the two planned to kill his wife.

According to search warrants, investigators also searched for evidence in the vehicle that Vincent claimed she drove to the crime scene.

Another warrant shows that on the day Julie Bowling was found dead, authorities searched her personal locker at Nash General Hospital, where she worked as a radiation oncology therapist, for items that included a journal and personal documents. They seized a journal, a planner and a manila folder.

Deputies believed the locker had information that was crucial to the investigation and apprehension of the assailants, according to the warrant.

Meanwhile, friends and neighbors said they were stunned about the developments in the case. Those close to Mark Bowling said the allegations are completely out of character for him.

The Bowlings were prominent business owners in Nash County. They built a successful chain of funeral homes together.

Both Mark Bowling and Vincent remain in jail without bond. They are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.