Search warrant: Victim died from shotgun blast

NASHVILLE — A search warrant filed by an evidence specialist with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office is shedding light on a Nash County man’s killing.

According to an application filed May 23 by Deputy D.B. Marks, officers arrived at 9454 Liles Road outside Bailey at 12:44 p.m. that day to conduct a welfare check on the homeowner, Charles Dewey Earp.

During a sweep of the home, investigators found Earp, 63, in a rear bedroom — dead of a shotgun wound to the head and unknown injuries about his body.

INITIAL FINDINGS

Upon arrival, responders found the front door ajar and an odor emanating from the kitchen, where a pot containing an unknown liquid mixture rested on the stove.

In addition to the smell, which authorities say had filled the home, another unknown liquid substance coated the floor in common-area spaces.

Per Marks, the area where Earp was located appeared in disarray, indicating “a struggle had taken place of some kind.”

IN PURSUIT

A person of interest was soon developed in Brandon Charles Earp — the victim’s son — who lived at the Liles Road home but was not there when authorities arrived to carry out the service call.

In short order, members of the NCSO Special Response Team apprehended the 37-year old, who was located near the home and taken into custody without incident.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man faces murder charge in father’s killing

The North Carolina Highway Patrol’s aviation unit assisted in an extensive search for Brandon Earp, who remains in the Nash County Detention Center without bond.

TRACES OF A PATTERN

Over the course of his 12-page application, Marks noted recent contention between father and son, writing that, “Brandon Earp is a known drug abuser and also known to be involved in several domestic calls between him and his father, Charles Earp, at the residence over the past.”

Marks also noted the younger Earp’s “history of being involuntarily committed for mental health issues.”

Lastly, the warrant inventoried items seized from the home, including two pairs of jeans, a metal pipe, a pair of shoes, swabbings from various locations, a pair of sunglasses, two wallets and their contents and a liquid sample of the chemical.

As of this writing, the investigation into the homicide is ongoing.

The post Search warrant: Victim died from shotgun blast first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia .