Two dead in Moore County murder-suicide

Robbins, N.C. — Two people were found dead early Tuesday in northern Moore County in what authorities have called a murder-suicide.

Deputies responded to a call about an emergency at 1648 Plank Road, about 3 miles east of Robbins, shortly before 7 a.m. and found two bodies inside the house, said Chief Deputy Neil Godfrey of the Moore County Sheriff's Office.

Rex Andrew Cockman, 43, and Margaret Harmon Cockman, 49, were shot to death, and investigators said one of the shootings was self-inflicted. No information was released as to who pulled the trigger in the shootings.

Rex Cockman's uncle, Russell Craddock, said the couple's 16-year-old daughter came to his home Tuesday morning, crying and screaming that her mother had a gun. He then called 911.

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Two found dead in Moore County

"She came in and said, 'Mama's going to kill me.' I said, 'Your mama won't kill you here. You're safe in our house,'" said Craddock, who lives across the road from the Cockmans.

Margaret Cockman was laid off several months ago from a rest home in Carthage, and her husband was on disability, Craddock said.

"What may have triggered this, I have no idea," he said.

Other neighbors said they also were baffled by the shootings.

Teresa Jordan, who lives next door, described the Cockmans as quiet, friendly neighbors.

"I never heard anything (from them). Nothing," Jordan said.

Gene Roger Criscoe said he had known Rex Cockman for years. If anything was wrong between the couple, they never let on, he said.

"I saw him in passing, him and Maggie sitting on the porch," Criscoe said. "They were kind of like the rest of us. They had their ups and downs, I reckon. I never saw anything like this happen."