A third man is in custody in connection with the September slaying of a Maxton man that authorities now believe was a robbery gone wrong.

Patrick CoKay Murphy, 30, of 414 North Brooklyn Street, was arrested Monday morning and charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to Investigator Earl Haywood. Murphy was placed in Scotland County jail without bond.

Murphy is charged in the shooting death of 31-year-old Chris McKoy, of Maxton, along with 20-year-old Carlton Lee Primus of Laurinburg and 18-year-old Quatrell "Trell" Lamar Nicholson of Laurinburg.

McKoy's body was discovered Sept. 6 at about 7:30 a.m. on Rockingham Road between Corbitt Street and Old Wire Road, about two miles southwest of Laurel Hill, according to investigators.

He was shot in the head, chest and hands.

New evidence suggests the killing began as an armed robbery attempt against McKoy, according to Haywood. He would not say what the accused robbers may have gained from the incident.