Suspect arrested in murder of 51-year-old found dead in Caroline County woods

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in connection to the murder of a 51-year-old Richmond man who was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in the Caroline County woods in late May.

According to a release, investigators obtained an arrest warrant on Monday, July 15, for 32-year-old Jonathon O’Bryan Ellis for the murder of 51-year-old Reginald Terrance Holmes.

Holmes’ body was found on May 26 of this year in a wooded area off of Sparta Road in Caroline County, where investigators obtained forensic evidence they say eventually pointed them to Ellis.

The Richmond City Police Department and Virginia State Police aided Caroline investigators in serving Ellis a search warrant on May 28 at his residence in Richmond. As a result of the warrant, Ellis was charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Investigators then obtained further evidence, including a firearm and ammunition.

Ellis has been held in the Richmond City Jail without bond since May 28.

Since the initial arrest, Caroline investigators have been working with the FBI, the Richmond City Police Department, Virginia State Police, the Henrico County Police Department and the Tappahannock Police Department.

These departments aided in serving search warrants, conducting surveillance and interviews and receiving helpful information from citizens, which resulted in the arrest warrant charging Ellis with Holmes’ murder.

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