Columbus County man convicted of first-degree murder

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Columbus County jury has convicted a 44-year-old man of first-degree murder in connection with the 2023 death of Allisa Lee.

Following a three-week trial in Columbus County Superior Court, Brandon Wayne Mincey was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder. The verdict was handed down June 12, 2026, and Mincey was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Judge Jessica Locklear.

The case stems from the April 14, 2023, discovery of Lee’s body in the water off Chair Factory Road in the Nakina community of Columbus County.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Mincey was initially charged as an accessory after the fact to murder. However, investigators later upgraded the charge to first-degree murder following additional investigation and a review of digital evidence.

In announcing the conviction, the District Attorney’s Office thanked the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on the case.