A quiet morning in the Dundas area of Brunswick County was shattered by a grim discovery. On September 29, 2024, the Brunswick County emergency communications center received a call about a man's body lying on the shoulder of Blue Bird Road. When officers arrived at the scene, near the Lunenburg-Brunswick county line, their investigation led them to a second victim a short distance away.
The female victim was identified as 48-year-old April Melissa Thomas of Richmond.
She, along with 50-year-old Winston Edward Hubbard Jr., also of Richmond, had been fatally shot. The discovery of their bodies launched a double homicide investigation that quickly focused on identifying a suspect and understanding the circumstances that led to their deaths. The community was left shaken by the violent act, while law enforcement worked to piece together the events of that tragic day.
Within days, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office identified a person of interest. Warrants were issued for the arrest of 37-year-old Joseph Lee Powell, who was already wanted in the county for a probation violation. The search for Powell intensified, and on October 2, he was located and apprehended in Richmond by the U.S. Marshals Service with the help of the Richmond Police Department. Following his arrest, investigators from Brunswick County traveled to Richmond to interview him.
During the interview with investigators, Joseph Lee Powell confessed to the murders of April Melissa Thomas and Winston Edward Hubbard Jr. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Powell is being held without bond. Authorities have stated that the murders appear to be an isolated incident and that there is no further threat to the community. The motive for the killings has not been publicly released.
