Fourth woman missing in US town where three found dead

Abby Patterson has been missing since September 5. Photo / Supplied

A fourth woman is missing from a town in North Carolina, US, where three other women have recently been found dead, all within the last year.

Abby Patterson, 20, left the family home in Lumberton in the morning of September 5, telling her mother she would be back within an hour. She has not been seen since then.

Local police is now investigating her disappearance, while at the same time probing the deaths of three other women in the same area.

"At this point we don't know if there's a connection," Lumberton Police Chief Michael McNeill said of the women.

Speaking to Fox News, he added that police is asking the community for help solving the cases.

"Someone out there has information we need."

The body of Christina Bennett, 32, was found on April 18 inside an abandoned house in the same town.

The same day, police found the remains of Rhonda Jones in a rubbish bin.

Megan Oxendine's body was found on June 3, very near where Jones' remains had been found. The 28-year-old had given an interview to a local news station at the time Jones' was discovered.

The FBI is assisting with the investigations.

Abby Patterson is currently still listed as a missing person.