A North Carolina state trooper has been charged with first-degree murder months after a fellow law enforcement officer was fatally shot outside the home of a woman who had been romantically involved with both men.

Sgt. Nekime Matu Oxendine was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday in connection with the March 27 death of Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Adam Bean. Both men were off duty when the confrontation unfolded outside a home in Hope Mills.

Bean, 42, had spent nearly two decades with the sheriff’s office. When deputies arrived at the property on Seattle Slew Lane, they found him lying in the front yard as the woman who lived there performed CPR. He later died from his injuries.

Investigators say the circumstances surrounding the shooting involved a complicated personal history between Bean, Oxendine and the woman.

Relationships stretching back years

North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper Nekime Oxendine was indicted on first-degree murder charges on Tuesday for fatally shooting Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Cap. Adam Bean in late March.N.C. State Highway Patrol

Search warrants indicate the woman had been romantically involved with both officers at different times.

According to the original report, text messages dating back to 2022 and 2023 showed Oxendine repeatedly questioning the woman about Bean while she and Oxendine were dating.

In one July 2022 message cited in the court records, Oxendine allegedly wrote: “I see u have been talking to Adam!!! Best Wishes!!!” before adding a warning directed toward Bean.

The woman later entered a long-term relationship with Bean and lived with him until December 2025, roughly three months before his death.

But the relationship picture shifted again shortly before the shooting. According to the report, messages showed that she and Oxendine had reconciled during February and March 2026.

The exchanges also allegedly revealed continuing tension over Bean. Oxendine questioned whether the woman found Bean more attractive and accused the sheriff’s captain of still having “the key” to her heart.

Although she told Oxendine she wanted to build a future with him, the trooper allegedly continued questioning her commitment until about a week before the fatal confrontation.

Bean arrived at the Hope Mills home

The woman, who also works for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, was in a long-term relationship with Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Cap. Adam Bean.Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office

On March 27, Bean asked the woman to meet him at his home after work so they could talk, according to the account contained in search warrants.

She initially agreed but later changed her mind and stopped responding.

Bean then decided to go to her Hope Mills residence instead. The woman reportedly asked him not to come, but he ultimately arrived and requested that she step outside.

According to the original report, Bean indicated that if she refused, he would sound his vehicle’s horn and cause a scene.

Investigators say Bean became upset after discovering Oxendine’s truck parked at the woman’s home.

The woman eventually walked outside. Oxendine followed.

What happened in the moments that followed is now at the center of the murder case.

Witness account describes confrontation before shooting

According to the search warrant account, Bean got out of his vehicle and moved toward Oxendine.

The woman told investigators that Oxendine emerged from the home armed with a gun. She said he initially fired a round into the ground before firing several additional shots that struck Bean.

Deputies responding to reports of the shooting discovered Bean in the front yard. A handgun was also observed nearby, according to the warrant.

The woman was desperately performing CPR when authorities arrived, but Bean did not survive.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation, processing the scene and examining evidence. Investigators also seized electronic devices belonging to Bean, Oxendine and the woman.

At the time those warrant details became public in April, Oxendine had not been criminally charged.

That changed more than five months after the shooting.

Grand jury indicts Oxendine

On September 9, a grand jury indicted Oxendine on a murder charge in Bean’s death. He is now being held without bond, with his next court appearance scheduled for early November.

The indictment represents a major development in a case that had remained under investigation since March.

Oxendine was placed on administrative leave immediately after the shooting and remains on leave while a separate internal investigation continues.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said it would allow the criminal justice process to proceed while conducting its own review.

“The Patrol respects the integrity of the judicial process and our system of laws that we all hold dear,” the agency said in a statement, describing the case as “a difficult and tragic event for all involved.”

The agency said its internal investigation remains active and declined to comment further.

A personal dispute now at the center of a murder case

The case has drawn particular attention because all three people involved were connected to law enforcement and because investigators have uncovered years of messages documenting the complicated relationships preceding Bean’s death.

But the indictment is an accusation, not a determination of guilt, and Oxendine has not been convicted of the charge.

The evidence cited in search warrants provides investigators’ and witnesses’ accounts of what happened that night, while the circumstances surrounding the confrontation — including the moments immediately before the shots were fired — are likely to become central as the criminal case moves forward.

For now, Oxendine remains behind bars without bond while Bean’s death, which began as a late-night confrontation outside a Hope Mills home, heads toward its next stage in court.