Kemberle Braden

Chief of Police

Release: IMMEDIATE                       Contact: Sgt. A. Caldwell, Public Information Officer

Date: July 27, 2023                             Phone: (910) 433-1487        OCA: 2023-000439

All suspects, and persons charged with a crime, are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Persons of interest are believed to have information relating to a case and have not been charged unless stated otherwise. 

Child Death Deemed A Homicide – Family Member Arrested

(Fayetteville, NC) – A one year old child’s death has been deemed a homicide and a family member has been arrested.

On January 6, 2023 at approximately 7:57 a.m., officers with the Fayetteville Police Department responded to the 6000 block of Beargrass Street to reports of an unresponsive one year old male child. 

The child was transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. Due to the age of the victim, his identification will not be released. At the time of the incident, the victim was in the custody of a family member, Deborah Vanburen. 

The autopsy determined the child’s manner of death to be a homicide. Warrants for the arrest of Deborah Vanburen (Black female, 31 years old) of Fayetteville were obtained, charging her with First Degree Murder.

On July 26, 2023 Deborah Vanburen was taken into custody and charged with First Degree Murder. She is currently being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center without a bond.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective M. Waters at (910) 635-4978.

 If you have information on this investigation and would like to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at (910) 483-8477.  Crime Stoppers information can also be submitted electronically, by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org and completing the anonymous online tip sheet, or by downloading the FREE “P3 Tips” app available for Apple devices in the Apple App Store and available for Android devices in Google Play.