Brandon David Hedrick, a 34-year-old man from Cornelius, NC, was found dead on August 11, 2021. His body was discovered in an SUV on Interstate 77 in Cornelius. A state trooper initially stopped to assist what appeared to be a stranded motorist in the left toll lane on I-77, between Westmoreland Road and Sam Furr Road. Upon approaching the vehicle, the trooper found Hedrick unresponsive. MEDIC pronounced him dead at the scene. Cornelius police later confirmed that Hedrick had been shot. The investigation into his death led to the arrest of 22-year-old Rymyr Davaughn Quarles of Mooresville. Quarles was charged with the murder of Brandon David Hedrick.
The investigation revealed that Hedrick was found slumped over the wheel of his car around 6:10 a.m. on August 12, 2021. The Cornelius Police Department, along with the Huntersville police and the Highway Patrol, conducted a thorough investigation, which included shutting down the southbound toll lanes of I-77 between Exit 28 and mile marker 26. The police asked for the public's help in identifying a vehicle that may have been involved in Hedrick's death. They released images of a white Ford Econoline passenger van, which was believed to be connected to the case.
On August 13, 2021, detectives with the Cornelius Police Department developed information that led to the arrest of Rymyr Davaughn Quarles. Quarles had been arrested multiple times over the past three years, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. The motive for the crime has not been released, and the investigation is ongoing. The Cornelius Police Department has asked anyone with information about the case to contact Captain Thompson.
