Nancy Grubert-Harvey Body Found Inside Car Dealership in Lexington North Carolina

Nancy Grubert-Harvey was a 52-year-old business owner whose life came to a violent end inside her used car dealership in Lexington, North Carolina. She was found murdered on January 25, 2013, at Atlanta Car Company, the business she owned and operated along Old U.S. Highway 52 in Davidson County.

Nancy was born on March 13, 1960, in Yoakum, Texas. She later built a life in North Carolina, where she became known as a mother, grandmother, friend and hardworking businesswoman. Her relatives described her as a generous and determined person who cared deeply for her family. She had several children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and those closest to her often referred to her affectionately as Grandma Nancy.

Her husband, Larry Ronald Harvey, died in 2010. After his death, Nancy continued operating Atlanta Car Company. The dealership sold used vehicles and reportedly worked with customers who might have struggled to obtain financing through traditional lenders. Family members remembered Nancy as someone who tried to treat people fairly and who was sometimes willing to help customers experiencing financial difficulties.

The dealership was more than Nancy’s source of income. It represented years of work, independence and personal responsibility. She was familiar with the customers, employees and daily routines of the business. Nothing about the morning of January 25, 2013, initially suggested that the dealership would soon become the scene of one of Davidson County’s most disturbing unsolved murders.

The Discovery at Atlanta Car Company

On the morning of January 25, 2013, an employee arrived at Atlanta Car Company at approximately 9:00 a.m. Inside the business, the employee discovered Nancy’s body and contacted emergency authorities.

Law enforcement officers responded to the dealership and immediately began treating the property as a crime scene. What they encountered indicated that Nancy had suffered a prolonged and brutal attack before her death. She had been beaten and restrained with plastic zip ties. Reports concerning the investigation stated that her wrists and legs had been bound.

Nancy was killed by asphyxiation. A plastic bag had reportedly been placed over her head and secured. She had also suffered blunt force injuries across several areas of her body, demonstrating the severity of the violence used against her.

Bleach was reportedly poured on Nancy and in portions of the dealership’s office. Investigators believed the bleach may have been used in an attempt to destroy physical evidence or interfere with the collection of DNA. The use of bleach suggested that whoever committed the crime may have understood that biological material, fingerprints or other trace evidence could potentially connect an offender to the scene.

The condition of the office also indicated that the dealership had been robbed. Items had been disturbed, and investigators found signs that the business had been searched. Authorities have not publicly provided a complete inventory of everything that was taken, nor have they disclosed the exact amount of money that may have been stolen.

A Suspected Robbery That Became Murder

Investigators have consistently considered robbery the likely motive behind Nancy’s murder. Atlanta Car Company reportedly handled significant amounts of cash due to the nature of its business. A used car dealership offering in house financing could receive cash payments from customers and might therefore appear attractive to someone planning a robbery.

The offender or offenders may have entered the dealership expecting to steal money and leave. However, the extreme violence used against Nancy raised difficult questions about what happened after the confrontation began. Investigators believed that Nancy may have resisted her attackers rather than quietly surrendering control of the business.

Former Davidson County Sheriff David Grice described Nancy as strong willed and suggested that she would not have willingly allowed someone to take what she had worked to build. Although the precise sequence of events remains unknown, the crime scene showed that there had been a violent confrontation.

Authorities have never publicly confirmed whether Nancy knew her killer. It is also unclear whether the attackers entered during business hours, gained access before she arrived or were already familiar with the dealership’s schedule. The fact that Nancy was found early in the morning has led investigators and the public to consider whether the perpetrators knew when she would be alone.

The level of preparation involved is another unresolved question. Plastic zip ties, a plastic bag and possibly bleach were used during the crime. Those items may have been brought to the dealership, which could indicate planning. However, investigators have not publicly stated whether every item used in the attack was carried into the business or obtained from inside the building.

The Mysterious Surveillance Footage

One of the most significant clues publicly connected to the case came from surveillance video recorded before Nancy’s death. The footage was captured on December 4, 2012, approximately 52 days before the murder.

The video showed three masked individuals near the rear of Atlanta Car Company during the nighttime hours. They appeared to be wearing dark or tactical style clothing. The individuals were reportedly carrying firearms, including handguns and what appeared to be a longer weapon.

The circumstances shown in the footage caused investigators to believe that the individuals may have been preparing to burglarize or rob the dealership. For unknown reasons, the apparent intrusion did not develop into the deadly attack that night. The masked individuals left without being identified.

Investigators released the surveillance footage publicly in February 2016, more than three years after Nancy was killed. Law enforcement officials hoped that someone might recognize the individuals through their physical builds, movements, clothing, equipment or mannerisms.

Authorities have never confirmed that the three people in the video murdered Nancy. However, investigators have continued to consider the footage important because it shows that Atlanta Car Company may have been targeted before January 25, 2013.

The video raises the possibility that Nancy’s murder was not a random crime. The perpetrators may have watched the dealership, studied its routines or returned after an earlier attempt failed. It is also possible that the people in the footage were unrelated to the later killing. Without identifying them, investigators cannot conclusively establish whether the two events were connected.

DNA Evidence From the Crime Scene

Despite the reported use of bleach, investigators recovered DNA evidence from the dealership. The discovery provided hope that forensic science could eventually identify the person responsible.

The DNA profile was entered into law enforcement databases, but no match was publicly announced. A lack of a match does not necessarily mean the evidence has no value. It may indicate that the person who left the DNA has never been arrested for an offense requiring a DNA sample, or that the available profile does not correspond to any person currently listed in the relevant databases.

DNA technology has advanced significantly since 2013. Improved laboratory methods have allowed investigators in other cold cases to obtain information from evidence that previously produced limited results. Investigative genetic genealogy has also helped identify suspects by comparing crime scene DNA with genetic information voluntarily submitted to genealogy databases.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed whether genetic genealogy has been attempted in Nancy’s case. They have also not said whether the collected DNA is complete enough or legally suitable for that process. For the public and Nancy’s family, the existence of DNA evidence remains one of the strongest reasons to believe the case could still be solved.

Investigators have protected many details concerning the physical evidence. Keeping certain facts confidential is common in an unsolved murder investigation. Information known only to detectives and the killers can help authorities evaluate confessions, tips and statements from potential suspects.

Years of Investigation Without an Arrest

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation continued working to determine who killed Nancy. Detectives interviewed people, examined physical evidence, reviewed the surveillance footage and pursued tips from the public.

No person has been publicly charged with the murder. Authorities have not announced the identity of an official suspect, and no one has been conclusively connected to the three masked individuals shown in the earlier surveillance footage.

The lack of an arrest has left important questions unanswered. Investigators still need to establish how many people entered the dealership, how they approached Nancy, what property was taken and how the perpetrators escaped without being identified.

The location of the dealership may also have presented investigative challenges. Old U.S. Highway 52 provides access to surrounding roads and communities, giving offenders several possible routes away from the business. Someone familiar with the area could have planned an escape while avoiding heavily traveled locations.

Investigators have not released the employee’s complete emergency call or all records connected to the crime scene. The decision to withhold those materials has limited public understanding of the timeline, but it may help preserve the integrity of the investigation.

Online discussions have produced numerous theories, but none has resulted in a confirmed solution. Some people have speculated that the killers were professional criminals because of their equipment and attempts to destroy evidence. Others have questioned whether someone familiar with the dealership provided information about its finances or schedule. These possibilities remain theories unless supported by evidence accepted by investigators.

Rewards and Renewed Public Attention

Nancy’s family and law enforcement officials repeatedly appealed for information. At one point, her family offered a reward reported to be as high as $100,000 in an effort to persuade someone with knowledge of the crime to come forward.

On April 22, 2025, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced a state reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Nancy’s murder. Davidson County officials promoted the reward during a news conference on April 29, 2025.

The renewed appeal brought attention back to a case that had remained unsolved for more than 12 years. Officials emphasized that relationships and loyalties can change over time. Someone who was afraid to speak in 2013 might no longer feel the same fear. A witness who once protected a friend, partner or relative might now be willing to provide information.

Even a seemingly small detail could prove important. A person may remember someone unexpectedly possessing cash after the murder, discussing the dealership, disposing of clothing or equipment, or behaving unusually around January 25, 2013.

The reward was also intended to remind the public that the investigation had not been forgotten. Cold cases can remain open for decades, and an arrest may occur when new evidence, improved technology or a previously silent witness finally provides the missing connection.

A Family’s Long Search for Justice

For Nancy’s family, the murder created a loss that could not be measured only through police reports or court records. Her children and grandchildren lost a central figure in their lives. They were forced to grieve while knowing that the person responsible remained free.

Nancy’s granddaughter, Daci Grubert, became one of the family members who publicly advocated for justice. She described Nancy as her best friend and emphasized the loving role she played within the family.

Each anniversary of the murder brought renewed pain and frustration. Birthdays, holidays and family milestones continued without Nancy. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren had to grow older without the woman whose presence had once helped hold the family together.

The unanswered questions have compounded that grief. The family does not know who entered Atlanta Car Company, whether Nancy recognized the attackers or what was said during her final moments. They have no verdict or sentencing hearing to mark the completion of the legal process.

Their continued public appeals show a determination to prevent the case from fading from memory. The passage of time has not reduced the importance of identifying the killers. Justice would not undo the loss, but it could provide answers and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

The Continuing Mystery in Lexington

The murder of Nancy Grubert-Harvey remains one of the most troubling unresolved cases in Davidson County. It involved a business owner attacked inside her own dealership, an apparent robbery, extreme physical violence, efforts to destroy evidence and surveillance footage of armed masked individuals recorded less than two months earlier.

The known evidence suggests preparation, but the identities and precise motives of the attackers remain uncertain. The DNA has not produced a publicly announced match. The people shown in the video have not been identified. No witness has provided enough publicly known information to secure an arrest.

The former dealership became a physical reminder of the crime. A place once associated with Nancy’s work and independence instead became connected to violence, loss and years of unanswered questions.

More than a decade after January 25, 2013, investigators and family members still believe someone knows what happened. A crime involving multiple participants would likely be known to more people than those who entered the dealership. Someone may have heard a confession, observed preparations or noticed suspicious actions after the murder.

The case can still be solved. Physical evidence remains valuable, forensic technology continues to improve and the personal circumstances of witnesses can change. The truth may depend on one person deciding that protecting the killers is no longer worth the burden.

Until an arrest is made, Nancy Grubert-Harvey’s family will continue seeking the answer to the question that has followed them since that January morning in Lexington: who killed Grandma Nancy?