Zachary Ramey is charged with the murder of Candice Aufrecht.
LINCOLNTON, NC – A Georgia man is in custody charged with the murder of a Lincoln County woman whose family reported her missing in 2023.
Candice Aufrecht disappeared after going to a restaurant in Lincolnton on March 8, 2023.
Her remains were discovered this past February along US Highway 321 near Hardin Road in Gastonia.
Investigators identified 35-year-old Zachary Ramey of Blairsville, Georgia, as their suspect. They took out warrants on him on July 2, 2025 for a gun violation that happened in 2023. Ramey was arrested and extradited to Lincoln County.
While in jail, detectives were able to collect more evidence and interviews, and on July 17, they charged Ramey with First-Degree Murder and Concealment of Death.
