WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – A man is behind bars and has been charged with murder after a man was found dead in Wythe County last week, according to the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 23, at about 5 a.m., deputies found the body of Lloyd Trenton Stilwell in the 100 block of Stone Drive in Max Meadows.
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Authorities say Stilwell appeared to have been shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
We’re told the victim was found lying facedown and authorities did not find any firearms near him. The body was taken to the medical examiner’s office in Roanoke for an autopsy.
Kenneth Michael Sayers, who lives in the 100 block of Stone Drive, made the initial 911 call, stating that he was walking his dogs when he discovered Stilwell. Sayers was also able to describe a suspect’s vehicle that he says he saw leaving the scene where the victim was killed, according to officials.
In addition, other witnesses in the neighborhood told investigators that they heard a single gunshot at about 9:30 p.m. on June 22.
During the course of the investigation, several subjects were questioned, including Sayers who changed his initial story, according to authorities.
Sayers eventually claimed that he was there at the time Stilwell had been shot, saying he knew the person who shot him. He went on to say that he held Stilwell after he was shot, but couldn’t tell authorities who was responsible for shooting Stilwell and said his life would be in danger if he did.
Eventually, he provided a name and description of a man that authorities had already questioned and discovered wasn’t involved.
Ultimately, investigators determined Sayers’ statements were inconsistent, leading them to believe Sayers was involved in Stilwell’s death.
On June 24, a search warrant was conducted on Sayers’ residence where ammunition was located.
Authorities say Sayers was later interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office and confessed to killing Stilwell.
Sayers was arrested and has been charged with Murder (18.2-32) and the possession of ammunition after being convicted of a felony. (18.2-308.2)
At this time, he is being held in the New River Valley Regional Jail without Bond.
