DUNN — A metal box with wires coming out of it forced the evacuation of an entire city block after it was found outside a Dunn woman's home. The bomb scare came four days after the end of a murder trial in which a member of the household was a victim.

It took investigators from the Ft. Bragg explosives team three hours to determine the box was not explosive.

Wayne Newbold, who was gunned down while working in his store, lived at the house where the bomb was found. Dunn Police Sgt. Tony Strickland said the recent trial was one reason police took the scare so seriously.

John Small, the cousin of the accused in the murder trial, said no one in his family was to blame.

"I don't think anybody in my family or in Dunn would appreciate doing anything like that to start with because whoever would do something wrong will have to pay for it dearly," he said.

Residents of the neighborhood said they were concerned about the possible connection between the bomb scare and the trial.

"Somebody's trying to really mess something up because they know this thing is really heated right now and really what I think somebody's trying to do is cause a riot," said James McNeill.

Dunn police are still investigating how the box ended up in that particular neighborhood and in front of the Newbold's home. They have no suspects.