In the fall of 2020, a grim discovery was made in the quiet woods of the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. On October 21, authorities were called to the scene of a burned-out SUV near the intersection of Forbes Road and State Park Road. Inside the vehicle, they found human remains. The vehicle, a 2002 GMC Yukon, was registered to Carlos Levell Rose, a 45-year-old male from the Lynchburg area whose family had recently reported him missing to the Bedford County Sheriff's Office.
The Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke later confirmed the remains belonged to Rose and determined that his cause of death was not the fire, but gunshot wounds. This confirmation shifted the investigation from a missing person case to a complex homicide.
The Appomattox County Sheriff's Office began to unravel the events leading to Rose's death, a case described as unusually complex for the area. The investigation soon led to multiple arrests. The first to be taken into custody, on October 27, 2020, was Artenna K. Horsley-Robey of Lynchburg, who was charged with first-degree murder. Following her arrest, authorities identified and charged several other individuals in connection with the crime. Enrico A. Moss of Appomattox, Mik’Tavis Elonta N. Green of Prospect, and Keyanta K. Robinson of Madison Heights were all also charged with first-degree murder. A fifth individual, Montel Croner, was later arrested and charged with being an accessory after the homicide, as well as arson and concealing a dead body.
As the case proceeded through the legal system, the details of the plot against Carlos Rose became clearer. Court proceedings revealed that the group had conspired to abduct Rose with the intent to extort money from him. The tragic encounter culminated in Rose being shot and killed. In an attempt to destroy evidence, his assailants drove his vehicle to the state forest, where they set it on fire with his body inside. The investigation was aided by cell phone and GPS records that placed some of the suspects at the location of the fire.
The various individuals involved faced different legal outcomes. Enrico Moss was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, abduction to extort money, and conspiracy. Mik'Tavis Green saw his first-degree murder charge amended to a lesser murder charge and was ultimately sentenced to serve 22 years on multiple charges, including murder, abduction, arson, and concealing a dead body. Keyanta Robinson was found guilty on charges of attempted malicious wounding, shooting at a vehicle, and reckless handling of a firearm. Montel Croner pleaded no contest to charges of arson and concealing a dead body, receiving a suspended ten-year sentence and probation. Artenna Horsley-Robey was also charged with first-degree murder in connection to the case.
