No leads in murder of elderly sisters

PREVIOUS COVERAGE - It's been two years since a horrific crime rocked this tiny community, and there are still no answers in the brutal murders of two elderly sisters from Virginia.

In August 2006 a passerby spotted the women's bodies on a dirt road in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Police say someone stabbed 74-year-old Dorothy Hobbs and her 71-year-old sister Nellie Bradley to death.

The women were stabbed in the chest, throat and face.

Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughn said at the time he believed they were murdered somewhere else and dumped on the path. Investigators do not believe the victims knew their killer.

Now, two years have passed and police still haven't made any arrests.

One weekend a year, the small town of Murfreesboro turns into a hot bed of fun for the annual Watermelon Festival.

But just a couple miles removed from all the excitement, down a country road, a tattered ribbon swings from a tree. It's a reminder of the same weekend two years prior when the crime was discovered.

"I was hurt to think that somebody would do something like that to two old ladies out trying to enjoy themselves," said Murfreesboro resident Eloise Balnes.

"I said, 'Lord, what in the world happened to those ladies,'" added Sarah Jones. "They were real nice. They didn't bother anybody."

74-year-old Dorothy Hobbs and 71-year-old Nellie Bradley were brutally stabbed to death.

Law enforcement agencies from seven jurisdictions eventually became involved in the investigation into the murder of the two sisters from Emporia, whose mutilated bodies were found near Murfreesboro

The sisters were there enjoying the festival and helping with a charity event. It was the last time they were seen alive. Their deaths affected everyone.

"It was just devastating to think that it could be so close to home," added Balnes.

The Hertford County Sheriff's Office continues to follow every lead. They say DNA evidence found at the scene hasn't led them to any suspects.

"This day in time, I can't see them two ladies getting killed like that and nobody has found out nothing," added Balnes.

"I hope they don't give up," said Robinson. "I hope they continue searching and do whatever they have to to find the person who did it."

If you have information call the Hertford County Sheriff's Office at 252-358-7800.