The man who spent 47 days on the run after the killing of his grandmother was captured Thursday in Vanceboro.
Dominic Connelly was wanted by authorities in Craven County for the murder of his grandmother Patricia Lopedote at her home near Havelock on October 25th. He’s also accused of stabbing a deputy in the leg at a Bojangles in Vanceboro on October 29 in order to evade arrest.
Sheriff Chip Hughes said Thursday’s search, which included deputies, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations with their K9s, and the U.S. Marshal’s Office, led to the discovery of Connelly, holed up in an abandoned home in a wooded area on Muddy Lane.
Hughes said, “He could barely speak, extremely dehydrated, cold, as if he had been living in the elements for quite some time.”
Connelly has been on the run since the end of October and Hughes said the manhunt was protracted because Connelly stayed out of sight.
“From the initial stage, he did not do a lot of moving around. It's not like we had multiple actual sightings of him. There were very few," he said. "So, we did not have a lot to work on from after the minute my deputy was assaulted.”
Hughes said investigators are still working to determine whether Connelly had help while on the run.
“Those that did not believe that we were doing this correctly or properly, or this was a waste of manpower and resources, murder suspect in custody," the sheriff said, "That's what I'll say to them.”
Hughes said because of his poor health and for safety reasons, Connelly is expected to be transferred to Raleigh as the case moves forward.
Connelly is expected in court on Friday.
Connelly is charged with:
- Murder
- First Degree Arson
- Attempted First Degree Murder
- Assault on Law Enforcement Officer
- Resisting Public Officer
- Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
