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Family Believes Robbery Motive In Newlyweds' Deaths

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CHADBOURN, N.C. — Relatives are looking for answers about what happened that led to the deaths of a pair of newlyweds and the bride's brother over the weekend. Meanwhile, Columbus County detectives continue their investigation with no suspects, no motives and no idea whether the deaths are tied to other unsolved crimes in the area.

Authorities discovered the bodies of Dennis Inman, 40; his wife Regina, 33; and her brother, Anthony Martin, 35, on Saturday. Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said the three apparently had been shot to death, but autopsies would establish the exact causes of their deaths.

Friends said the three had no known enemies, but the victims' families believe money may have played a role in the victims' deaths.

According to those who knew him, Dennis Inman was very generous, sometimes helping his neighbors pay their bills when they could not afford them.

Neighbor Bobbie Powell said Monday that she thought the killer may have been looking for money and knew about Inman's generosity.

"He helped all the people around here," said Inman's mother, Betty Inman. "All of them -- if they needed something, he was always there for them."

Betty Inman said the inside of the victims' home looked like someone had ransacked it -- more evidence that leads her to believe Inman and his family were the victims of a robbery.

Investigators, however, would not say whether they thought the deaths may be linked to other cases.

On Sunday, authorities said the case appeared to be random and that it was the third unsolved homicide case in four months.

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