Mitch Stone - reporter@highlandsnews.com
A missing person report last week in Highlands resulted in a homicide charge.
On April 29, 2026, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Highlands Police Department responded to a report of a missing person at a residence under construction located at 429 Hardscrabble Ridge Rd. The call indicated that blood had been discovered at the site and that one of the workers was unaccounted for.
Upon arrival, officers encountered three adult males outside the residence. One of the individuals, identified as Jose Antonia Pena-Diaz, was found deceased.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the 43rd Prosecutorial District Attorney’s Office were requested to assist with the investigation.
As a result of the investigation, Rene Pena Diaz, 41, of Greenville, South Carolina, has been arrested and charged with murder. He is being held in the Jackson County Detention center on no bond.
Police confirmed the suspect and victim were brothers. No other injuries were reported at the scene.
“The two were related and were working together on the job site,” said Lt. Tim Broughton. “This was specifically between the two individuals – not a random murder.”
Broughton said additional charges are possible.
Rene Pena Diaz was previously charged in Greenville County with disorderly conduct and open container of beer or wine in a motor vehicle in 2015; an uninsured motor vehicle fee violation, failure to register and speeding (10mph or less over speed limit) in 2016; unlawful turning from the wrong lane and driving without a license in 2024; and most recently, driving without a license (second offense) in 2025.
Due to the location of the incident, the case will be prosecuted in Jackson County, North Carolina, as the residence is located within Jackson County while also falling inside the corporate limits of Highlands, North Carolina.
The investigation is still active.