A quiet neighborhood in Hubert was shaken after authorities confirmed a heartbreaking murder-suicide involving a couple who, by all accounts, had stayed off law enforcement’s radar. Investigators say 50-year-old Carman Burns was shot and killed by her boyfriend, 60-year-old Terry Clyde Murphy, who then took his own life inside their mobile home on North Cambridge Street.
Deputies with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office were called to the residence in the 200 block of Cambridge Street late Sunday morning, March 22, 2026, around 11:17 a.m., following a report of a death. What they found inside a back bedroom was a devastating scene—both Burns and Murphy were already dead.
Detectives moved carefully, piecing together what happened through autopsies, physical evidence, and interviews. By Thursday, March 27, the sheriff’s office confirmed its conclusion: Murphy shot Burns before turning the weapon on himself. Officials have not shared details about the firearm or what may have led up to the violence.
Authorities noted that the couple was in a domestic relationship and that there had been no prior recorded incidents involving either individual. That detail only deepened the shock for those who knew them, as there were no warning signs reported to law enforcement before the tragedy.
Investigators emphasized that the incident appears isolated, with no ongoing threat to the public. Even so, the sudden loss has left a quiet but heavy mark on the community, where neighbors are now grappling with how something so severe could unfold behind closed doors.
For many, the focus has shifted to remembering Carman Burns, a woman known for her work and the lives she touched. She owned Sea Glass Spa in Morehead, where she worked as a massage therapist and esthetician, helping clients find comfort and healing.
Loved ones describe her as someone who brought warmth into every room she entered. A fundraising page created for her family speaks to a life centered on care, compassion, and connection—qualities that now stand in stark contrast to the violent way her story ended.
