Two people have now been arrested in connection with the burglary of retired NASCAR driver Dave Marcis’ North Carolina home, and authorities say most of the property stolen from the racing legend has been recovered.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the latest developments Friday, Sept. 11, less than a week after Marcis’ family publicly detailed the break-in and the loss of deeply personal pieces from his decades-long NASCAR career.
The investigation has now resulted in arrests on two separate dates.
Hailey Bowlin, 27, was charged Sept. 3 with second-degree burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny of a firearm, larceny after breaking and entering and five counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, according to authorities.
A second person, Cameron Samotis, 29, was arrested Sept. 8 and charged with second-degree burglary, officials said.
Both defendants are accused in connection with the burglary. The charges are allegations, and neither should be considered guilty unless convicted.
Most Items Stolen From Dave Marcis’ Home Have Been Recovered
Perhaps the biggest development for Marcis and his family is what happened beyond the arrests.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said most of the items stolen from Marcis’ residence have been recovered.
That marks a significant change from where the case stood when Marcis’ daughter, Shawn Beam, spoke publicly about the burglary days earlier.
Marcis, now 85, had returned to his home in Arden, North Carolina, after being away for roughly a week and discovered someone had broken in. His family later found that numerous valuables and pieces of racing memorabilia were missing.
Among the stolen property Beam previously identified were one-of-a-kind rings, Rolex watches Marcis received as retirement gifts from Roger Penske and rifles. One of the rifles had been given to Marcis by Dale Earnhardt.
For Marcis, those items carried significance far beyond their monetary value.
“He walked past me and he said all that stuff, it’s just gone, everything,” Beam previously told WLOS. “I said, ‘Well, they didn’t take everything.’ He said, ‘They might as well have.’”
At the time, Beam feared some of those irreplaceable pieces might never make it home.
“Some of it he might never get back,” she said.
Authorities’ latest announcement that most of the stolen property has been recovered provides a far different outlook for the family.
Investigation Into NASCAR Legend’s Home Burglary Leads to 2 Arrests
The case began moving quickly after some of the stolen property reportedly surfaced away from Marcis’ home.
Beam previously told WLOS that she received a message through Facebook from someone who believed they had purchased property stolen from her father. Some of the items had reportedly surfaced at Smiley’s Flea Market in Fletcher, North Carolina.
That information helped provide investigators with a lead.
Authorities have now confirmed two arrests in the investigation, with Bowlin facing multiple charges and Samotis facing a second-degree burglary charge.
The recovery is especially significant given the history attached to Marcis’ belongings.
Marcis made more than 880 NASCAR Cup Series starts across a career that spanned five decades, making him one of the sport’s most enduring competitors. The memorabilia inside his home represented relationships and milestones accumulated across generations of NASCAR history.
Just days ago, his family was left wondering how much of that history could ever be recovered.
Now, with two arrests made and authorities saying most of the stolen items have been found, the case has taken a major turn.
NASCAR Legend’s Home Burglary Takes Major Turn as 2 Arrested