28-year-old found shot dead in submerged car. Now NC cops are searching for his killer

A missing man was found shot dead in a river, prompting a homicide investigation in North Carolina, officials said.

Keyon West was reported missing on Dec. 5, a few days after he was last seen, Bobby Martin, chief of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, told McClatchy News in an email.

More than a week after West’s disappearance, a Toyota Camry was pulled out of the Roanoke River. Inside the submerged car, officials reported finding a deceased person but initially weren’t able to determine an identity “due to the condition of the body.”

Then on Dec. 20, police announced that the body had been identified as West. The 28-year-old reportedly died after being shot.

Officers continue to investigate how West ended up in the vehicle, which was found in about 10 feet of water near the Weldon Boat Ramp.

“The Roanoke Rapids Police Department has declared this as a homicide investigation,” officials wrote in a news release.

As police seek clues, anyone with information is asked to call them at 252-533-2810 or Crime Stoppers at 252-583-4444.

Roanoke Rapids is roughly 90 miles northeast of Raleigh, near the Virginia border.

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