In the pre-dawn hours of October 19, 2019, tragedy struck in Hampton, Virginia, ending the life of 40-year-old Gregory Eugene Blythe. A male resident of neighboring Newport News, Blythe was discovered inside a vehicle in the 1100 block of West Pembroke Avenue at approximately 4:15 a.m., having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Emergency services were called to the scene, but Blythe was pronounced dead where he was found.
A devoted husband and father to five children, his sudden and violent death sent ripples of grief through his family and the wider community.
The investigation into the homicide quickly moved forward as Hampton Police Division detectives worked to piece together the events that led to the shooting. Within weeks, investigators identified two suspects in connection with Blythe's death. Warrants were issued for the arrests of Linwood Ellerbee and Tavon Maurice Wright, both 27-year-old men from Hampton. The charges against them were severe, including murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
A search for the wanted men ensued, leading to their apprehensions in different states by the end of the year. Tavon Maurice Wright was taken into custody on December 15, 2019, in Jacksonville, Florida. His alleged accomplice, Linwood Ellerbee, was arrested by the Fairfax Police Department in Fairfax, Virginia, on December 31, 2019. Following their arrests, both men were held in custody and awaited extradition to Hampton to face the charges related to the death of Gregory Blythe, bringing a measure of hope for justice to a grieving family.
