Laura Jean Ackerson, missing N.C. mother, believed murdered; ex-boyfriend and his wife charged

(CBS/WRAL) RALEIGH, N.C. - A woman's dismembered remains found Sunday in Texas are believed to be those of missing Kinston, N.C. mother Laura Ackerson. Her ex-boyfriend - who is the father of her two children - along with his wife, are both charged with Ackerson's murder.

Grant and Amanda Hayes are accused of killing Ackerson, 27, and scattering her remains near a house in Richmond, Texas, where Amanda Hayes' sister lives., reports CBS affiliate WRAL.

Ackerson was reported missing July 15 after she failed to meet Grant Hayes in Raleigh to pick up her two sons.

Raleigh police called the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office in Texas and asked them to search the area, which led to the discovery of the remains, according to sheriff's officials.

Fort Bend Chief Deputy Craig Brady said it appears Ackerson was killed in North Carolina and taken to Texas, where her dismembered body was found scattered in three spots.

Authorities say they recovered a machete and other items from Amanda Hayes' sister's house. The sister does not face charges, according to Texas authorities, who said there's no indication that she had any knowledge of what happened.

Family and friends have said that Ackerson and Grant Hayes were involved in a custody battle and that their relationship had been "volatile."

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July 20, 2011 - Laura Jean Ackerson Missing: Mother vanished from Raleigh, N.C.