India, July 1 -- A longtime postal worker and mother of two was kidnapped and murdered while delivering mail in North Carolina. Brandi Reynolds left her children orphaned just months after their father died in a car accident in December.

The 35-year-old was found dead following a call for help to authorities in Hays, North Carolina, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement, according to NBC News.

"I can confirm that Brandi Reynolds was delivering mail on her route when the incident occurred," U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Martel said.

William Craig Durham, 56, of the community of Roaring River, was charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder by prosecutors in Wilkes County. He was arrested on the day of ...