Suspect in woman’s 2023 killing arrested 200 miles away in Georgia, NC cops say

A man living in north Georgia has been linked to the killing of a North Carolina woman who vanished in 2023, according to investigators.

Zachary William Ramey, 35, was captured more than 200 miles away in Blairsville, Georgia, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.

He was charged July 17 “for his involvement in the death of Candice Aufrecht,” the sheriff’s office says.

A motive has not been revealed.

“Aufrecht was reported missing by family members after being last seen at a restaurant in Lincolnton on March 8, 2023,” the sheriff’s office said.

“In February 2025, the remains of Aufrecht were located near Hardin (Road) on U.S. Highway 321 in Gaston County. An autopsy determined her cause of death to be homicide, and she was positively identified a few days later.”

Gaston County investigators linked her death to a home in nearby Lincoln County, resulting in a series of searches, officials said.

The investigation led to a warrant being issued July 2 for Ramey on a weapons violation that occurred in 2023, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said.

“While the suspect remained in jail, sheriff’s office detectives worked to develop more leads and collect additional information through interviews and reviewing evidence,” officials said.

That evidence led to Ramey being charged with first-degree murder and concealment of death, officials said. He also faces a charge of felony possession of a firearm by a felon, the sheriff’s office said.

Lincolnton is about a 40-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.

This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM with the headline "Suspect in woman’s 2023 killing arrested 200 miles away in Georgia, NC cops say."