A man is discovered just inside the tree line on the northbound side of U.S. 301
On May 25, 1981, the body of 36-year-old Victor Eugene Garbe Jr., a Caucasian male, was found just inside the tree line along the northbound side of U.S. Route 301 in Sussex County, Virginia. The location was approximately two-tenths of a mile north of the Greensville County line. An examination by the medical examiner revealed that Garbe had been shot in the back of the head. Investigators believe he was killed sometime after he had departed from Florida two days prior to the discovery of his body.
Garbe had been in the process of traveling to New York, driving his distinctive green 1968 Buick convertible. Two days after his body was found, on May 27, 1981, his vehicle was located in Frankfort, Kentucky. The car had been abandoned and deliberately set on fire, suggesting an attempt by the perpetrator or perpetrators to destroy any potential evidence that could link them to the crime.
Despite an extensive and long-running investigation by the Virginia State Police, the murder of Victor Eugene Garbe Jr. remains an unsolved cold case. Over the years, law enforcement has pursued various leads, but no suspects have ever been publicly identified or arrested in connection with his death. The case remains active, with authorities still seeking any new information that could finally bring resolution to the decades-old homicide.
