Medical Examiner: Murdered mother, daughter dismembered

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —  The mother and daughter whose bodies were found in a shed in Columbus County had been stabbed multiple times and their remains dismembered before they were set on fire, according to the Medical Examiner’s report.

Eva Jones, 60, and her daughter Tiffany Cartwright, 35, were reported missing on April 3.

Later that night, firefighters in Columbus County responded to a woods fire and discovered a burning shed. Once inside, they found charred human remains that were later identified as the missing Wilmington women.

According to the Medical Examiner’s Summary of Circumstances Surrounding Death, a majority of the remains were placed on a mattress prior to the fire. Arson investigators discovered what appeared to be a significant amount of accelerant under the remains of the mattress.

The official cause of death is multiple injuries including blunt and sharp force trauma. The medical examiner’s report on Cartwright shows she was also stabbed multiple times and had a fractured skull. The full report on Jones is not yet available.

The day after the bodies were found, Jones’ son-in-law, Jeffrey Harmon, shot and killed himself at his home in South Carolina. An investigation determined Harmon killed his mother-in-law and sister-in-law before committing suicide.