Man’s ‘love of killing animals’ escalated to shooting a hitchhiker, NC cops say
A former member of the U.S. military is facing accusations he killed a hitchhiker for entertainment, then hid the body, according to investigators in North Carolina.
The remains of 81-year-old William Scott Lowry have yet to be found, but that hasn’t prevented detectives from arresting Nicolai Chisala Hubbling and charging him with first-degree murder, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 12 news release.
Hubbling, 21, lives in Tennessee, but was stationed in the Bladen County area as a member of the U.S. military when Lowry vanished in 2024, the sheriff’s office said.
“On April 22, 2025, Bladen County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip. The caller stated Nicolai Hubbling had reportedly told several acquaintances about his love of killing animals to dissect but it wasn’t enough he wanted more,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Hubbling reportedly stated he had shot and killed William Lowry who appeared to be hitchhiking just outside of Fayetteville on a rural road in Bladen County and disposed of his body in an unknown location.”
The tip launched an investigation that revealed Hubbling had recently been discharged from the military in North Carolina and moved to Old Hickory, Tennessee, about a 540-mile drive northwest from Fayetteville.
A joint operation involving Bladen County deputies and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office took Hubbling into custody May 29 as he was leaving his home, officials said. He being held held without bond in Wilson County, awaiting extradition to North Carolina, the sheriff’s office said.
Details of Hubbling’s military service were not released, but the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield are located northwest of Bladen County, according to Military.com.
Lowry was reported missing on Aug. 27. He was last seen walking near his home on F.L. McDaniel Road in the unincorporated Ammon community, officials said.
Ammon is about an 85-mile drive south from Raleigh.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Man’s ‘love of killing animals’ escalated to shooting a hitchhiker, NC cops say."