Lincolnton man pleads guilty to beating his wife to death in January 2025

LINCOLN CO., N.C. – The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says on Wednesday, 70-year-old Clarence Pinckney pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Lincoln County Superior Court in the death of his wife.

In January 2025, Elizabeth Pinckney was found beaten to death at the couple’s home on Lee Lawing Road in Lincolnton. Deputies say Clarence Pinckney told 911 operators at the time that he had killed his wife.

He’ll spend 20 to 25 years behind bars.