In the quiet community of Rocky Mount, Virginia, the life of 80-year-old Dillard Nolen was brought to a tragic and violent end on November 22, 2017. A chain of chaotic events that day would ultimately lead authorities to the grim discovery inside his home. The man identified by law enforcement in connection with this series of crimes was John Robert Eames, a 55-year-old resident of Rocky Mount.
The afternoon of November 22nd was shattered by a string of alarming incidents.
Authorities reported that Eames was involved in a series of criminal acts that began with him abandoning his own vehicle. He then brandished a firearm and abducted an individual in a different car. The terrifying sequence of events continued as Eames reportedly fired shots into occupied dwellings in the Glade Hill area of Franklin County. This prompted a significant law enforcement response and a search for the armed and dangerous suspect.
As deputies were investigating the related crimes, a request was made for a welfare check at a residence on Dillard Lane in Rocky Mount. It was there that they found Dillard Nolen deceased from a gunshot wound. The discovery of Nolen's body connected the earlier violent spree to a homicide investigation, with Eames as the primary suspect.
The manhunt for John Robert Eames concluded when he was located. Before he could be apprehended, Eames turned the gun on himself, inflicting a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was subsequently hospitalized for his injuries. Following his release from the hospital, he was arrested by authorities. Initially, Eames was charged with shooting into an occupied home, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and reckless handling of a firearm. He was held without bond at the Western Virginia Regional Jail as the investigation into the death of Dillard Nolen continued, with the possibility of additional charges being filed.
