New details have come to light in the murder of Danielle Alicia Chance, who was reportedly shot in February 2014 after an altercation with Felicia Barnes, who then received assistance from another woman in an attempt to destroy Chance’s remains, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.
As the result of an investigation that crossed county and state lines, Barnes, 37, who now resides in Jefferson City, Tenn., is currently awaiting extradition to North Carolina on a charge of murder. Betty West, 24, of Angier, has also been charged with accessory to murder and is currently in the Sampson County Detention Center under $200,000 bond.
On Jan. 12, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a potential homicide that had never been reported in northwestern Sampson County. Investigators from the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office had received the information regarding the homicide and immediately relayed it to Sampson authorities.
Investigators were told that Chance, 24, “was shot as the result of an altercation with Barnes, who then obtained the help of West in an attempt to cover up the crime,” Sampson authorities noted. Investigators spent the next several days searching locations in Sampson County where the homicide reportedly occurred and where suspects attempted to destroy the remains. Human remains were discovered during a search, confirming information provided to authorities.
Sampson Sheriff’s Office investigators and agents with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation determined that the primary suspect, Barnes, had moved to Jefferson City, Tenn. Investigators traveled to Tennessee and interviewed the suspect with the assistance of the Jefferson City Police Department. That interview revealed the location of additional human remains believed to be those of Chance, as well as the firearm used to commit the murder, authorities said.
Barnes was taken into custody on the charge of murder. She was still awaiting extradition to North Carolina on Tuesday.
According to preliminary investigation, the homicide is believed to have occurred on Feb. 16, 2014. During this time period, Chance was not in contact with her family, authorities said.
“Investigators are still processing areas for additional evidence and/or remains, which is time-consuming due to the age of the case and the dispersion of the remains,” a Sampson Sheriff’s Office statement released on Tuesday read. “Once all attempts to discover remaining evidence/remains are exhausted, additional information such as search locations will be made public.”
