3 people arrested for first-degree murder 3 years after NC man disappeared

CLARKTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A breakthrough lands three people behind bars three years after a man went missing in Scotland County.

Brandon McDonald, 35, left his Clarkton, North Carolina, home in March 2021 traveling to Laurinburg.

He was never seen again.

A cold case task force began re-examining the case in May of 2024.

That taskforce was eventually able to obtain warrants for the arrest of Michael Anthony "Blu" Bethea Jr., Shelena Lynn Clark and LaKeithan "Joe" JuJuan Tyson for first-degree murder.

"I know the family needs closure. Of course it wasn't the end that we thought it was going to be. The gentleman has been missing for over three years now. But, like I said, the countless hours they put in ...it's a rewarding feeling to know that we're getting some rest from these cases," Major Roger Alford said.

Investigators said the case remains open. McDonald's remains have still not been located.