Local News

Man Found Dead Inside Raleigh Restaurant

Posted Updated

RALEIGH, N.C. — Investigators are searching for a missing vehicle after a man was found dead in a Raleigh restaurant early Saturday morning

Police said an employee of Circus Restaurant found the body of Leroy Francis Jernigan, 41, inside the restaurant, located at

1600 Wake Forest Road

. Jernigan, authorities said, had been shot in the head.

Jernigan -- who was not a restaurant employee, according to investigators -- was the owner of Quality Cleaning and Maintenance. He was believed to have been inside the restaurant Friday night to perform cleaning services after the business closed.

The pickup truck Jernigan had been driving, a red 2001 Dodge Ram Quad Cab with North Carolina license plate

NVD-5598

, is missing, investigators said. The truck had a ladder rack and a red toolbox, and was also pulling a utility trailer that was found Saturday night on Tillery Place.

Police said both the truck bed and the trailer contained tools and equipment.

Police are asking anyone who sees the truck to call

911

immediately. Anyone with other information regarding the investigation is urged to contact the Raleigh Police Department's Detective Division at

919-890-3555

.

The restaurant is closed until the investigation is complete, police said. It was not immediately know when it would reopen.

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