A Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø County man was arrested Monday on charges of killing his housemate last month in what was first reported as a suspicious death.
Bryan Lamonde-Smith, 19, is facing charges of second-degree murder and abduction of 22-year-old Anthony Shoemaker.
Lamonde-Smith
Western Virginia Regional Jail
On July 7, police were called to a modular home on Ridge Road, off Bennington Street in southeast Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø County, where both men had been living.
Shoemaker’s body was found lying on the floor, with stiffness in his limbs that indicated he had been there for some time, according to a search warrant filed last month in Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø County Circuit Court.
Police eventually located Lamonde-Smith and his sister, who said they had been outside and came in to find the body.
“They advised they did CPR and were not able to revive him, and that they were not sure how long he had been there nor when exactly they had last seen him,†the search warrant states.
Detectives quickly confirmed there was no risk to the public and began a lengthy investigation, police said in a news release Wednesday.
An autopsy determined that Shoemaker suffered blunt force trauma to the neck, a cut to his head, a lacerated kidney and broken ribs. The search warrant described him as “very skinny,†and said he had ligature marks on his wrists that appeared to have been caused by handcuffs.
Members of Shoemaker’s family later told authorities that they had not heard from him in recent years, and that he had not returned their calls.
In January, the family asked police to check on the 22-year-old. “They requested police speak with him as they felt he was being held against his will at the home and not allowed to communicate with the family,†a detective wrote in the search warrant.
Last Friday, a grand jury returned murder and abduction indictments against Lamonde-Smith, who was considered a fugitive at the time. He was arrested Monday and is being held without bond at the Western Virginia Regional Jail.
