Murder suspect named for Richmond man found in Caroline woods

Johnathan O. EllisPhoto byCCSO

One suspect has been named for the murder of Reginald Terrance Holmes, a 51-year-old Richmond man found dead in the woods in Caroline. But this first suspect is not likely to be the last, according to Caroline County Sheriff Scott Moser.

Holmes’ body was discovered by a citizen on May 26, and, at the time, CCSO announced that “significant” evidence was collected from the scene.

In an update this week, CCSO said investigators took that evidence from the scene and immediately began tracking down leads. That investigation pointed them to 32-year-old Johnathan O’Bryan Ellis.

Working with Richmond City Police and Virginia State Police, CCSO said they executed a search warrant on Ellis’ home in Richmond on May 28.

CCSO said they recovered additional evidence, including a gun and ammunition. That day, Ellis was charged with being a felon in possession of gun and a felon in possession of ammo. And he was held without bond.

Meanwhile, CCSO said the investigation continued, and they worked with multiple agencies, including the FBI, to continue building the case. In all, multiple search warrants were served, countless hours of survellience was reviewed, interviews were conducted, and the public provided information, CCSO stated.

As a result, on July 15, Ellis, who was still in custody, was charged with Holmes’ murder.

“While today’s charge is a major step forward in this investigation, additional charges and arrests are expected,” said Moser. He added that this investigation is still ongoing.

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