NC - Candice Jean Aufrecht, 40, aka Candice Jean O’Brien, last seen at Chick-fil-A on birthday, Lincolnton, 8 Mar 2023

[imstilla.grandma]

Police said Candice Jean Aufrecht, also known as Candice Jean O’Brien, was last seen in March 2023.

She was at the Chick-fil-A in Lincolnton with Zachary William Rame, according to police

Lincolnton police searching for missing 40-year-old woman

The Lincolnton Police Department is searching for a 40-year-old woman who was reported missing nearly a year ago.

www.wsoctv.com

Candice Jean Aufrecht, 40, hasn’t been seen since March 8, 2023; however, her family did not report her missing until Oct. 7, 2023, and that missing person report was made to the sheriff’s office. On Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, the Lincolnton Police Department distributed her missing person information to the media.

Police searching for missing Lincolnton woman last seen on birthday nearly 1 year ago

Candice Jean Aufrecht, 40, hasn’t been seen since March 8, 2023.

www.wbtv.com

 

[Eli9]

I have so many questions. I can understand not being close to family but what about work, friends, neighbors? Wonder what her living situation was like. Rent, mortgage payments going unpaid. Wonder if she has a vehicle.

 

[borndem]

You've asked essentially the same questions I would have!
Just poof! and she is gone. Foul play? Did she meet someone and is happy, or did she meet someone and was not treated well or worse?
Why the delay in her family reporting her missing?
Could she possibly still be in Lincolnton? If she is still alive, I would doubt that she would still be there? Did she just want to make a new start in a different town or state?
Too many questions...
Hoping she is happy & doing well.
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A bit about Lincolnton, NC -
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Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,486 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River. The city is the county seat of Lincoln County. Wikipedia
[...]
Population: 11,352 (2021)
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[GraceG]

I checked recent court records to see if she'd shown up anywhere for a traffic infraction as well as any records pertaining to anyone she might be with (not named as POI so not linking). There's nothing in the system, ever, for North Carolina under any names. Giving her a bump so she's not forgotten.

 

[AbandonedNC]

https://catawbanc.mugshots.zone/aufrecht-candice-jean-mugshot-06-12-2021/

Her prints are probably on file.

Zachary “Zach” William Ramey, the man she was last seen with has some drug charges and is listed as a felon.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

New push to find missing Lincolnton woman - WCCB Charlotte's CW

Candice Aufrecht has been missing since March 8, 2023. Investigators she was last seen at the Chick-Fil-A in Lincolnton with a man named Zachary Ramey.

www.wccbcharlotte.com

December 11, 2024

LINCOLNTON, N.C. – Lincolnton Police need your help finding a woman who has not been seen in over a year. Candice Aufrecht has been missing since March 8, 2023.

*****

 

[Caring1]

Sadly, Candice was found deceased last month and has now been identified.

April 9, 2025

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — After two years of unanswered questions, a Lincoln County family is closer to getting some closure. The remains of Candice Aufrecht, who disappeared in 2023, have been identified.
Her husband, William Aufrecht, told WCNC Charlotte that he continues to seek justice and clarity.
Aufrecht confirmed the remains found in February along a Gaston County roadway, just outside the town of Dallas, belong to his wife Candice.

'She was everything to me' | Remains found on roadside confirmed as missing Lincoln County woman

Lincoln County family gets small closure as remains of Candice Aufrecht, missing since 2023, are identified.

www.wcnc.com

 

[SluethinAway]

Georgia man arrested in connection to 2023 murder of missing Lincoln County woman

The remains of Candice Aufrecht, who disappeared in March 2023, were found in February 2025 along a Gaston County roadway.

www.wcnc.com

Zachary William Ramey, 35, of Blairsville, Georgia, was charged with first-degree murder in Lincoln County and one count of concealment of death in Gaston County.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Detectives traveled across North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast, as well as into South Carolina and Georgia, pursuing leads and conducting interviews. This work led to Ramey’s initial arrest on July 2, 2025, on a felony charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, a weapons violation stemming from 2023. He was extradited from Georgia to Lincoln County.

While Ramey remained in custody, Sheriff’s Office detectives continued to develop leads, collect additional information through interviews, and review existing evidence. These combined investigations ultimately led to the more severe charges of First-Degree Murder and Concealment of Death on July 17.

Georgia Man Charged With Murder In 2023 Disappearance Of North Carolina Woman

After a multi-agency investigation spanning over two years, a Georgia man has been arrested and charged in connection with the 2023 murder of Candice

www.tampafp.com

 

[vls12345]

Georgia man charged with murder in NC woman’s disappearance

He is currently being held without bond.

www.wsbtv.com