Man charged with murder in deadly Morganton shooting

The victim was found shot to death in his home, Burke County deputies said.

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — A Black Mountain man was arrested in connection with a deadly shooting at a home in Burke County on Monday, deputies said. 

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting on Mountain View Boulevard in Morganton a little before 11 a.m. on Oct. 7. When deputies arrived, they found 69-year-old Joel Lynn McNabb dead from a gunshot wound. 

Detectives identified 34-year-old Teddy Justin Rathbone as the primary suspect in the case. Warrants were issued for Rathbone’s arrest and he was arrested in McDowell County a few hours later. Rathbone is charged with murder and is being held in the Burke County jail without bond. Multiple agencies were involved in the case, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. 

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