Local News
Suspect Named in Bragtown Man's Slaying
Deputies are searching for a man they believe robbed and killed an 89-year-old man in his Bragtown home.
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DURHAM, N.C. — The Durham County Sheriff's Office on Friday swore out warrants for the slaying of an 89-year-old man who was found dead in his Bragtown home in September.
Tory Jarel Nelson, of 5121 Stanley Road, was charged with first-degree murder, breaking and entering larceny and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Last week, the sheriff's office released a picture of Nelson and called him a person of interest. On Friday, deputies were actively searching for Nelson and said they believed other arrests were imminent.
Family members of Charles Forest Davis found him dead on the floor of his 2913 Nellowood St. home on Sept. 26. He had been stabbed to death and his home ransacked, investigators said.
Earlier, detectives said they thought Davis' death might have been connected to a series of break-ins in the Bragtown neighborhood. In 10 days surrounding the killing, police investigated at least eight break-ins in the area.
On Sept. 28, investigators searched Nelson's house and seized a pair of jeans, but the search produced no arrests.
A day after Davis's body was found, a deputy spotted his car and gave chase, but the people inside jumped and escaped. According to a search warrant, blood stains on and inside the Buick Century indicated a transfer of evidence from Davis' home to the car and to the occupants of the car.
Davis served as a deacon at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, where he was a member for more than 50 years.
Anyone who knows Nelson's whereabouts should contact the Durham County Sheriff's Office at 919-560-0900.
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