Moreland's remains possibly found
Investigators found a body in Harnett County Friday afternoon. It's believed to be missing Wendell woman Cynthia Moreland.
HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. -- Human remains were discovered in Harnett County Friday afternoon. Those remains are believed to be of the missing Wendell woman, Cynthia Moreland.
A man cutting wood behind an abandoned house on Cane Mill Road near Coats found the body around 1:30 p.m. The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office said they do not plan to remove the body from the site until later Friday night.
They have not positively identified the body yet, but investigators believed it to be Moreland, 48, who went missing ten days ago. They contacted the Raleigh Police Department, and Raleigh investigators showed up soon after that.
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Moreland disappeared on August 22 shortly after dropping her husband off at work.
Investigators believe she was kidnapped from the Progress Energy parking deck in Downtown Raleigh by convicted sex offender Antonio Chance, 29, of Garner.
The day after Moreland went missing, police found her gray 1998 Toyota Camry abandoned on Malta Avenue in southeast Raleigh.
Raleigh Police Department Spokesman Jim Sughrue said a witness saw a driver who looked like Chance leave the parking deck with a woman in the front seat.
Sughrue added that they still believe Chance acted alone and had no previous link to Moreland.
Cynthia Moreland
Chance is being held on a $1 million bond. He has been charged with first-degree kidnapping and obtaining property by false pretenses.
Police said the latter charge is related to Chance’s attempt to use Moreland’s debit card just before 10 a.m. Tuesday at a Dollar General store on Fayetteville Road. Murder charges might soon be added to that list if the remains are positively identified as being Cynthia Moreland.
Chance's next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 14.
Progress Energy, where Moreland had worked for 26 years, WakeMed, where her husband works, and the couple’s church offered a $30,000 reward for information that would police to Moreland.
On Saturday, hundreds of volunteers were supposed to help Raleigh police search for Moreland. That included people from Progress Energy.
Raleigh police beefed up security in six downtown parking garages following Moreland’s disappearance. The tighter security measures include a greater police presence in the early morning and evening hours and a recommendation to increase the use of security cameras.