Man accused in fatal shooting and house fire on NC coast is arrested in Texas, cops say
Authorities in Texas arrested a man Sunday in connection with a fatal shooting and fire on the North Carolina coast earlier this month, police say.
Police were called to a beach house on Emerald Isle the night of Jan. 9 and say they found the home engulfed in flames and 31-year-old Carl Eugene Jones Jr. shot to death inside, McClatchy News previously reported.
The home was in a popular tourist area, according to McClatchy News, and police posted an announcement on Facebook the next day assuring residents and visitors that the island is safe.
Patrick Keith-Reich Whitley, 25, of Havelock, was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service and local police in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to a release from the Emerald Isle Police Department.
He is being held without bond and will be taken back to North Carolina where he will face murder and first-degree arson charges, police say.
The arrest was a collaboration between several local, state and federal agencies, police say.
Police have not released any other information.
This story was originally published January 20, 2020 at 11:43 AM.
