ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man has been arrested in connection with the death of a man who was found dead lying in the Roanoke River in 2022, according to the Roanoke Police Department.
Authorities state that on June 28, 2022, Roanoke Police were dispatched to an area near the 500 block of Bridge Street SW and found an unresponsive man, later identified as 33-year-old Travis D. Isbell, of Roanoke, lying in the Roanoke River. Roanoke Fire-EMS personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Initially, an investigation determined that the man had possibly fallen from the nearby bridge into the water and there was no evidence discovered at the scene that indicated foul play. Additionally, the Medical Examiner’s Office deemed the death “undetermined.”
However, in January 2024, Roanoke Police received further information on the incident that resulted in detectives reopening the case. Ultimately, that evidence indicated that the incident was a homicide, authorities said.
After investigating further, detectives identified 33-year-old Matthew T. Aldridge, of Roanoke, as a suspect.
Authorities told 10 News that this case was seen before the April meeting of the Roanoke City Grand Jury, where indictments of first-degree murder were issued; however, those charges were amended and upgraded to first-degree murder by the grand jury.
“Those indictments were served without incident on April 1, 2024, at the Coos County Corrections Department, where Mr. Aldridge was incarcerated,” the police department said. “He was extradited back to the City of Roanoke this week and remanded into the custody of the Roanoke Sheriff’s Office.”