LAURINBURG, N.C. (WBTW) — Scotland County authorities officially reopened the 1984 double murder investigation Monday, hoping to get answers for the families of two men shot to death at a convenience store they owned.

Deputies say Dora Breeden and Pat Gentry were killed on Nov. 18, 1984, at the P&D Mart, now Nic’s Pic Kwik. The store they owned was set on fire and no arrests were made.

The Scotland County Sheriff’s Office began re-examining the case after contacting Breeden’s family, Capt. S.R. Dover said at a news conference Monday near the murder scene.

“We’re hoping that as this comes out, people will remember and come forward, or as Kim said, there will be people who weren’t able to speak at the time and are able to speak out now due to certain circumstances,” Dover said. “Getting people to talk and remember things and talk to us is kind of the goal.”

Dora Breeden’s daughter Kimberly, who was among several members of the family at the press conference, said the family needed closure.

“We’ve lived with this for 40 years with no answers, no understanding why, and it’s time we got answers,” Kimberly said. “We deserve answers and justice needs to be served for what happened to him. He didn’t deserve this. Pat didn’t deserve this, so if you know anything, please come tell us. “Maybe there are reasons you haven’t come forward before, but put it in your heart to come forward because this family deserves closure.”

Pat Gentry’s ex-wife, Patrica Gentry, expressed a similar sentiment.

“Now adult children need some answers, and this will give them some closure,” he said. “As far as you know, this won’t solve the years they’ve been dealing with without that parent, but it will give them a measure of closure that they need.”

The cause of the murders remains a mystery, according to Dover, who said no money was taken from the store and the murders did not appear to have occurred during a robbery.

Dover also said a lot of evidence has been destroyed over the years, but there are some things deputies need to work on as the investigation continues.

“(It was) a very scary scene and no one deserves to die that way,” Dover said. “So please come forward if you know anything.”

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Dennis Bright is Digital Executive Producer. News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis, Facebook, x, old Twitterand read more of his work Here.

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