In the early morning hours of June 23, 2022, the body of 37-year-old Lloyd Trenton Stilwell, a Caucasian male, was discovered in Max Meadows, Virginia. He was found lying face down in the 100 block of Stone Drive with a gunshot wound to his chest. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene, and no firearm was located nearby. His body was subsequently transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Roanoke for an autopsy.
The investigation took a turn when the individual who made the
initial 911 call, Kenneth Michael Sayers, became a person of interest. Sayers, a resident of the same block, initially claimed he found Stilwell's body while walking his dog and even provided a description of a vehicle he allegedly saw leaving the scene. However, as investigators questioned him further, inconsistencies in his story began to emerge. Other neighbors reported hearing a single gunshot the previous evening, around 9:30 p.m. on June 22.
Sayers' narrative shifted multiple times under questioning. He eventually admitted to being present when Stilwell was shot and claimed to know the shooter's identity, but asserted that his life would be in danger if he revealed the name. He went so far as to provide a name and description of a man whom investigators had already cleared. The continuous changes in his account led authorities to believe Sayers was directly involved. A search warrant was executed on his home on June 24, where ammunition was discovered.
Ultimately, Kenneth Michael Sayers confessed to killing Lloyd Trenton Stilwell. He was arrested and charged with murder and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Sayers was held without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail. In court, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and the ammunition charge. In March 2024, a judge sentenced Kenneth Michael Sayers to 28 years and 3 months in prison for the murder. Upon his release, he will be subject to six years of probation.
