Family hopes inmate can attend funeral: Prisoner's daughter killed in N.C. drive-by shooting

LUMBERTON, N.C. - Robeson County investigators continue to searchfor clues in the drive-by shooting death of an 11-year-old girl whileher family hopes prison officials will allow her mother to return tosee her laid to rest.

Nicole Deanna Oxendine, a fourth-grader, was killed Monday as sheslept in her sister's mobile home about 11:35 p.m. while visiting forthe holidays.

Investigators say at least four shots were fired into the homefrom a 1995 white Ford Taurus spotted leaving the scene. One struckNicole in the head. No one else in the home was injured.

"We are following up leads that we have, but right now we have nonew information," said Sgt. Donnie Britt of the Robeson CountySheriff's Department.

Investigators were waiting Thursday for an autopsy report toverify the type of weapon used in the shooting.

Nicole is scheduled to be buried Saturday at a family cemetery inLumberton. But it remains unclear whether her mother, CharleneOxendine will be allowed to attend.

Oxendine is serving time on a drug charge at West Virginia'sfederal Alderson Prison Camp. As of late Wednesday, prison officialshad made no arrangements for her to travel home for the funeral.

Her brother, Mickey Locklear, said that a prison counselor hadtold him that because of security concerns, it would not be inOxendine's best interest to travel home for her daughter's services.

Locklear said the counselor was not specific about the concerns.

Dawn Zobel, executive assistant of the prison, would not saywhether Oxendine would be released.

Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Prisonsin Washington, said decisions on whether to furlough inmates forfunerals and other family emergencies are made by wardens at theindividual prisons.

The bureau's official policy, posted on its Web site, says that afurlough is justified "to be present during a crisis in the immediatefamily, or in other urgent situations... . Immediate family includesmother, father, step-parents, foster parents, brothers and sisters,spouse, and children."

Efforts to reach Oxendine, 43, in prison were unsuccessful. Shewas been in federal prison since 2001, when she was convicted ofdistributing cocaine and sentenced to five years.

She was furloughed for three days in November, when her fatherdied.

Her brother said he picked her up from the prison, drove her homefor the visitation and services and took her back.

Locklear said the family is frustrated by the prison's apparentrefusal to release his sister and that in telephone conversations,she has been distraught over her inability to attend the funeral.

"She's blaming herself for this, that she's locked up when sheneeds to be home," he said. "Yes, she done something she shouldn'thave done. But she's paying for that. They ought to let her out forthe funeral. It's really silly."