Arrest Made In Year-Old Iredell County Murder Case

MOORESVILLE, NC — A nationwide manhunt is over and the suspect accused of murdering an Iredell County man in a planned robbery more than a year ago is behind bars, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell announced Thursday.

Murder suspect Mark Arnold Pinkerton was located April 24 in Meadville, Pennsylvania where he was living and will soon be extradited to Iredell County to stand trial, Campbell said.

Sheriff department investigators spent hundreds of hours following up on tips and leads, Campbell said. During the course of a recent interview, however, a witness identified Pinkerton as the prime suspect behind the murder of Hugh Lee Moose.

Moose was killed Jan. 10, 2017 in his home located at 577 Shiloh Road near Statesville.

The witness told investigators that Pinkerton asked them for help robbing Moose. “The witness declined to take part in the robbery,” Campbell said.

Detectives from Iredell County travelled to Meadville Tuesday and were able to locate Pinkerton with the assistance of the Crawford County Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Office. “He was interviewed by Iredell County detectives and eventually confessed to causing the death of Hugh Moose,” Campbell said.

During the course of the confession, Pinkerton’s murder weapon was located and will be submitted for laboratory testing.

Pinkerton was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with one count of murder and no bond was issued.

“I want to thank everyone involved in this investigation and acknowledge them on their hard work especially Major Andy Poteat and his team of detectives,” Campbell said. “The amount of dedication and devotion given to this case, to never stop investigating every aspect, to check and re-check every detail has led to the arrest of this suspect and hopefully some closure for the Moose Family.”

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