Reconstruction government to regain influence and was appointed captain of the Police Guard. He pursued the Lowry Gang, but was sometimes hampered by a lack of intelligence. In one instance he was reported to have attended a religious service at Black Swamp Church and to have found Lowry there. Lowry had expected this and was armed, while Norment was not; the two reportedly exchanged some antagonistic conversation but Lowry left without incident. Also in 1869, John Saunders, a detective from Boston, came to Robeson County at the behest of the Sheriff of New Hanover County, J. W. Schenck, with the intent of disguising himself as a Radical Republican carpetbagger who wanted to teach the children in Scuffletown how to read and write. After gaining the Indians' trust, he would try and gather intelligence from them about the Lowry Gang, so he could turn them over to the authorities and secure a reward for himself and Schenck. He later reported to the authorities that some gang members would stop at their relatives' homes on short visits between forays. By the autumn of 1869, Norment's men had captured eight members of the Lowry Gang—six Indians and two blacks. Among those captured were George Applewhite, Steve Lowry, John Dial, and Eli Ewin. The latter two agreed to turn state's evidence. The trial of those captured for the murder of King was scheduled for the 1870 spring term in the Robeson County Superior Court. The gang's leader and Boss Strong, as well as some other less prominent members, remained at large. Raids continued throughout the winter, despite the intensified efforts of local authorities. Norment also arrested Zachariah T. McLauchlin on suspicion of robbery, but he escaped custody. Lowry decided to attack Norment in revenge for his crackdown. On the evening of March 19, 1870, he and his band went to the Norment Plantation. Norment was sitting with his wife when he heard a strange noise and decided to step outside. He was shot, and his wife pulled him inside, locked the door, and handed him his rifle. Other members of the family sent for help and contacted a doctor, who rode to the plantation in his buggy. A mile away from his destination, the doctor's mule was shot, and he jumped from the buggy and proceeded to the house on foot, leaving his medical supplies behind. Norment died the following day. Three other raids