A Marine deserter accused of killing his mother’s boyfriend was missing Tuesday, with authorities in Virginia and North Carolina searching for him.
Michael Brown, 22, is wanted in the killing of Rodney Brown, 54, who died on Saturday in Franklin County, Virginia, just south of Roanoke.
Rodney Brown was found shot in his home Saturday, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office quickly found a suspect in Michael Brown, who authorities say deserted from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina last month.
The sheriff’s office announced Monday that it had obtained a warrant for Michael Brown’s arrest for second-degree murder and felony use of a firearm. Michael Brown was last seen on surveillance footage from a store in the county on Saturday, authorities said.
NBC affiliate WSLS in Roanoke reported that authorities are trying to establish a possible motive but that neighbors said they believe Michael Brown recently learned that Rodney Brown wasn’t his father, contrary to what he had believed for much of his life.
Camp Lejeune and the Marine Corps could not immediately be reached for comment. WSLS reported that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is helping local authorities in the search.
