Rodrel N. Mathis, a 31-year-old Black / African American man, was tragically killed on September 17, 2023, in a violent shooting incident in Roanoke, Virginia. The event, which unfolded in the 1200 block of Melrose Avenue NW, also resulted in the death of another individual, Crystal Elizabeth Randolph Brown. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Brown outside of a residence and Mathis inside a parked vehicle; both had sustained critical gunshot wounds.
Despite the efforts of Roanoke Fire-EMS, both Mathis and Brown were pronounced dead at the scene. A third victim was also wounded in the altercation but was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening.
The investigation into what was determined to be a double homicide rapidly pointed to 25-year-old Edward Denoyer of Roanoke as the main suspect. According to court documents that later came to light, the deadly confrontation allegedly stemmed from an illegal narcotics transaction that escalated into a heated argument and ended in gunfire. Following the shooting, Denoyer fled the area, prompting a widespread manhunt. Law enforcement officials considered him to be armed and dangerous and sought public assistance in locating him.
After more than a month on the run, the search for Edward Denoyer came to an end on October 18, 2023, when he was apprehended in Vermillion, South Dakota. His capture was the result of a concerted effort by the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and other law enforcement agencies. Denoyer was taken into custody and held in South Dakota as he awaited extradition to Virginia to face a series of charges. The Roanoke Police Department announced that Denoyer was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Rodrel Mathis and Crystal Brown, one count of malicious wounding for the injury of the third individual, and three counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
