Man charged with murdering 71-year-old roommate in Union County, police say

STALLINGS, N.C. — A man has been charged with murdering a 71-year-old woman, who he was renting a room from in Union County, police said.

Officers responded to a home Friday at around 6 p.m. on Ashie Avenue for a welfare check. Neighbors said the woman who lived there had not been seen recently.

Once police got inside the home, they found Carolyn James dead. Investigators said James’ cause of death was suspicious and determined that David Luther Little, 31, was a person of interest in the case.

Stallings police told Channel 9 that Little was in Charlotte Friday night and called 911, confessing to killing his roommate. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police then responded to his location and took him into custody. Little was then transferred to the Stallings Police Department.

“He actually called 911 in Charlotte and said he had just murdered his roommate,” said Assistant Chief James Perry.

After further investigation, Little was charged with first-degree murder. He is currently being held at the Union County Jail without bond.

A murder investigation in Stallings. Police tell me they arrested 31-year-old David Little for the murder of 71-year-old Carolyn James, who he rented a room from. She was found dead inside her home Friday night.

Little, smiled in his mugshot. More on the bizarre case on @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/FssvJGVsPN
— Genevieve Curtis (@GenevieveWSOC9) February 28, 2022

A neighbor told Channel 9 that she got a text from a friend worried about James. On Friday, Theresa said she used a key James gave her to let officers inside for a welfare check.

“They had a pact as she called it that they would call or text one another because they were both single ladies and she hadn’t heard from Carolyn,” Theresa said.

She said she was worried about her friend renting rooms, and that she recalled James wanting Little to move out because of some strange behavior.

“We said, ‘off the internet’ maybe that’s not such a good idea.’ This fellow and one other I did not get good feelings about,” Theresa said.

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Police said this does not appear to be a random act and that there is no threat to the public. Detectives are still working to learn Little’s motive.

“Carolyn was special. She was a friend to my mom. She was willing to take my mom to medical appointments,” Theresa said. “She will be missed. She will be greatly missed.”

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Stallings Police Department at 704-821-0300.

No other details have been released at this point. Return to this story for updates.

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