Bobby Earl Lucas, a 56-year-old African American man, was found dead on August 7, 2020, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He had been shot multiple times at the Montecito West apartments along the 4100 block of Bland Road. The police responded to a shooting call around 3:15 a.m. and discovered Lucas's body with multiple gunshot wounds. The scene of the shooting was near an apartment complex close to several restaurants and a grocery store.
The investigation into Bobby Earl Lucas's death led to
the arrest of Nicholas Dalton Nanes, a 29-year-old man from Raleigh. Nanes was charged with the murder of Lucas, as well as the murder of another man, Selvaraju Vellingiri, 55, of Cary, North Carolina. Vellingiri was killed while out for a walk on August 27, 2020, just 20 days after Lucas's death. Nanes was arrested on August 29, 2020, on a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. He had previously been convicted of larceny of a motor vehicle in 2019 and was released from jail in December 2019.
Raleigh police stated that Nanes did not know Lucas prior to the shooting. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Raleigh and Cary police departments, the City-County Bureau of Investigation, and the Wake County District Attorney's Office. Both police chiefs released statements expressing hope that the arrest would bring some measure of comfort to the families and communities affected by the tragedies.
Nanes faced one count of murder for the death of Bobby Earl Lucas and one count of murder for the death of Selvaraju Vellingiri. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. The investigation into the murders was ongoing, and authorities emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and support from the community in solving the cases.
