ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – An arrest has been made in a double homicide case that has plagued the Franklin County community for more than a decade, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
On Oct. 6, 2013, 53-year-old Vicky Purdy’s body was found inside a burned vehicle in the 800 block of Philpott Road in Franklin County near the Henry County line. This came after she had been reported missing three days prior. Autopsy results indicated that Vicky had been shot and the head and that the manner of death was homicide.
On Dec. 5, 2013, 54-year-old Ricky Dodson’s body was also found in a wooded area on Johnson Hill Road, about a mile from where Vicky Purdy’s vehicle and body were found, the sheriff’s office said. The manner of death was also ruled a homicide.
On Friday, 11 years later, 43-year-old Daniel Elwood Duncan, of North Carolina, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of use or display of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Deputies told 10 News that Duncan is Ricky Dodson’s nephew and has been a person of interest since the start of the investigation. At this time, Duncan will remain in custody in North Carolina pending the extradition process back to Franklin County, according to the sheriff’s office. The case remains ongoing pending further legal proceedings.
“While we understand that no arrest can undo the pain and heartache experienced by the families of the victims, we are hopeful that this progress in the case will provide a sense of justice and resolution,” the sheriff’s office said. “The Office of the Sheriff would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the families for their patience and trust throughout this long investigation.”