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Triangle Local

Pembroke, Robeson County

Pembroke: Kashon Malik Priest charged with murder in death of his 4-month-old daughter, police say

Pembroke police and the SBI announced the charge Wednesday. The infant died May 15 at a Chapel Hill hospital. Autopsy findings have not been released.

DevelopingOfficials are still releasing information. We update this story as facts are confirmed.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

What we know

Confirmed

  • Pembroke police and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation charged Kashon Malik Priest, 28, with one count of murder in the death of his 4-month-old daughter.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department and N.C. SBI, as reported by WPDE, WWAY, WRAL, The Robesonian and WMBF (Oct. 21, 2026)
  • Officers responded May 5, 2026, to a report of suspected child-abuse injuries.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department, as reported by WWAY, The Robesonian, WMBF and WPDE
  • The infant was taken to UNC Health Southeastern in Lumberton, then airlifted to UNC Children's Hospital in Chapel Hill.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department and N.C. SBI, as reported by WRAL, WWAY, The Robesonian, WMBF and WPDE
  • She died May 15, 2026, at the Chapel Hill hospital.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department and N.C. SBI, as reported by WPDE, WRAL, WWAY, The Robesonian and WMBF
  • Pembroke police asked the SBI to help on May 19, 2026.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department, as reported by WPDE, WRAL, WWAY, The Robesonian and WMBF
  • Her body was taken to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department and N.C. SBI, as reported by WPDE, WWAY, The Robesonian and WMBF
  • Priest is held without bond at the Robeson County Detention Center.Confirmed by Pembroke Police Department and N.C. SBI, as reported by WPDE, WRAL, WWAY, The Robesonian and WMBF
  • WWAY, WPDE, The Robesonian and WMBF all said officials have released no further detail on the injuries or the autopsy. WRAL likewise said no additional information was available.Confirmed by WWAY; WPDE; The Robesonian; WMBF; WRAL
  • A search of the SBI newsroom and the SBI site search for Priest on Oct. 21 returned no matching public release. The Town of Pembroke police page lists the department and its phone numbers and does not post this case.Confirmed by ncsbi.gov newsroom and site search; Town of Pembroke police page (fetched Oct. 21, 2026)

Alleged or reported

  • Priest committed murder in the death of his infant daughter.Pembroke Police Department and N.C. SBI charging decision, as reported by WPDE, WWAY, WRAL, The Robesonian and WMBF. A charge is an accusation; Priest is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court

Still unknown

  • Autopsy findings
  • How the infant was hurt
  • What investigators say happened on May 5
  • Whether the charge is first-degree or second-degree murder (outlets said "murder" or "one count of murder")
  • Whether more charges will be filed
  • Whether Priest has a lawyer

What this means for you

Public safety
A charge is an accusation. Priest is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. This story is not an official or emergency notice. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from Town of Pembroke Police Department contact page

To report suspected child abuse that is not an emergency, contact your county department of social services. For Pembroke police, the town lists non-emergency 910-521-5487 and emergency 910-521-4333, and says to dial 911 in an emergency.

What happened

In Pembroke, Kashon Malik Priest, 28, is charged with one count of murder in the death of his 4-month-old daughter, according to the Pembroke Police Department and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.

WPDE, WWAY, WRAL, The Robesonian and WMBF all carried that account Wednesday. WPDE and WYFF named the state bureau as their source. WWAY named the town department. A search of the SBI website found no matching public release.

A charge is an accusation. Priest is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Juvenile victims are not named here.

Officers were called May 5 about suspected abuse injuries to the baby, those newsrooms reported, citing the department. She went first to UNC Health Southeastern in Lumberton and was then airlifted to UNC Children's Hospital. She died there May 15.

Four days later, on May 19, the department asked the SBI to join the case. Her body went to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Investigators have not released what the autopsy found or how she was hurt.

He is in the Robeson County Detention Center with no bond.

The written accounts do not say first-degree or second-degree. Some add that it is a single count.

What we don't know yet

Officials have not described the injuries, a medical examiner's finding, or what they believe happened in May. They have not said whether more counts are coming, or whether Priest has a lawyer.

Timeline

  • May 5, 2026: Officers respond to a report of suspected abuse. The infant goes to the Lumberton hospital, then to Chapel Hill.
  • May 15, 2026: She dies at the Chapel Hill hospital.
  • May 19, 2026: Pembroke police ask state investigators to help.
  • Oct. 21, 2026: Priest is charged and jailed with no bond, those newsrooms reported from the department and the bureau.

Safety

This story is not an official or emergency notice. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. To report suspected abuse that is not an emergency, contact your county department of social services.

The town's police page lists non-emergency 910-521-5487 and emergency 910-521-4333.

Photos

Text-only. Booking pictures have circulated with credits to the SBI and the county jail. This page has no photo, because we do not have a clean agency-released file independent of other newsrooms.

Why it matters

Pembroke police, with the SBI, have charged a local father in the death of an infant. Readers need a clear account of the accusation, the dates officials have given, and that autopsy findings and how she was hurt have not been released. Triangle Local is not an emergency service.

Updates

  1. Oct 21, 2026, 5:10 PM

    WPDE, WRAL, WWAY, The Robesonian and WMBF report that Pembroke police and the SBI charged Kashon Malik Priest, 28, with one count of murder in the May death of his 4-month-old daughter. He is held without bond. Autopsy findings have not been released.

  2. May 19, 2026, 12:00 AM

    Pembroke police asked the SBI to assist, according to those later reports.

  3. May 15, 2026, 12:00 AM

    The infant died at UNC Children's Hospital in Chapel Hill, according to Pembroke police and the SBI as later reported.

  4. May 5, 2026, 12:00 AM

    Officers responded to a report of suspected child-abuse injuries; the infant was taken to UNC Health Southeastern and then airlifted to Chapel Hill, according to later official accounts reported Wednesday.

Sources

  1. Robeson Co. man charged with murder in death of 4-month-old girl (WPDE, Oct. 21, 2026, 1:11 p.m.: according to the N.C. SBI; Kashon Malik Priest, 28, arrested after Pembroke police and SBI investigation; held without bond at Robeson County Detention Center; May 5 suspected-abuse call; UNC Health Southeastern then UNC Children's Hospital; died May 15; body to N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; SBI asked May 19; no additional information)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, via WPDE · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  2. Robeson County man charged with killing infant daughter (WRAL, Oct. 21, 2026, 3:59 p.m.: Pembroke police and SBI charged Kashon Malik Priest, 28, with murder; infant to UNC Health Southeastern in Lumberton on May 5, then airlifted to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill; died May 15; SBI asked May 19; autopsy by N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; held without bond)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  3. Pembroke man charged with murder in death of 4-month-old daughter (WWAY, Oct. 21, 2026: according to Pembroke Police Department; one count of murder; May 5 suspected child-abuse injuries; UNC Health Southeastern then UNC Children's Hospital; died May 15; body to medical examiner; SBI asked May 19; autopsy findings and how she was hurt not released; held without bond; photo credit NC SBI)

    Published by WWAY · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  4. Pembroke man charged with murdering of infant daughter (The Robesonian, Oct. 21, 2026: Pembroke police with SBI assistance charged Kashon Malik Priest, 28, with murder; May 5 response; UNC Health Southeastern then UNC Children's Hospital; died May 15; medical examiner; SBI asked May 19; one count of murder; held without bond)

    Published by The Robesonian · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  5. Man charged following 4-month-old's death in Pembroke (WMBF, Oct. 21, 2026, 12:16 p.m.: Wednesday charge by Pembroke police with SBI assistance; one count of murder; Kashon Priest, 28; May 5 suspected child-abuse injuries; UNC Health Southeastern then UNC Children's Hospital, the SBI said; died May 15, according to SBI; medical examiner; SBI asked May 19; held without bond; photo credit N.C. SBI)

    Published by WMBF · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  6. Man charged with murdering his 4-month-old daughter, SBI says (WYFF, Oct. 21, 2026, 12:05 p.m. EDT: according to the N.C. SBI; May 5 possible child abuse; airlifted to UNC Children's Hospital; died May 15; SBI asked May 19; Kashon Malik Priest, 28, charged with murder; held without bond)

    Published by WYFF · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  7. N.C. SBI press-release index and site search for Priest (no matching public release listed when checked Oct. 21, 2026)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. State Bureau of Investigation · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

  8. Town of Pembroke Police Department page (Chief Adrian Hunt; non-emergency 910-521-5487; emergency 910-521-4333; dial 911; no case statement posted)

    Official sourcePublished by Town of Pembroke · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:18 PM

  9. N.C. General Statute 14-17, murder (background on the murder statute; outlets did not say first- or second-degree)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina General Assembly · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 5:18 PM

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