The Halifax County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an early Saturday morning homicide in which both the identity of the victim and the suspect are unknown. Sheriff D. J. Oakes is asking that anyone with any knowledge pertaining to the murder please contact his office immediately at (434)476-3334. The victim is described as being a black female, 30-40 years of age, about five feet, five inches tall and weighing between 95-105 pounds.
The Sheriff’s Department got a call shortly after 7:30 a.m. Saturday, July 7, 2007 that a passerby had noticed a person lying near a driveway in the 3000 block of Ashton Hall Road in the Paces area of western Halifax County. (Ashton Hall Road is a short road that connects Melon Road to River Road.)
The passerby, who was on his way to starting a vacation trip, checked the victim for signs of life, but was unable to find her pulse, and he notified the owner of the property on whose land she was found. The property owner then called the Sheriff’s Office and Lt. T. E. Logan and Sgt. J.K. Henderson responded to the call at 7:45 a.m. They secured the crime scene and called out investigators, J. D. Clay and A.D. Tribble, who photographed the crime scene and processed items for physical evidence. Neighbors advised deputies that a loud vehicle had been heard in the area around 1 a.m., followed by a single gun shot and then drove away toward US Route 58.  Oakes said the neighbors never actually saw the vehicle, but from the sounds thought it was likely a truck. He also said the neighbors did not think the gunshot was unusual since residents sometimes shoot at the many deer that roam through the community.
Oakes said his department has received no reports of a missing person and he has sent out bulletins to surrounding law enforcement agencies to see if they have received any missing persons reports. As of Sunday morning he had received no response to any of his inquiries. Halifax County Medical Examiner Dr. Charles Devine examined the body at the crime scene and estimated the time of death to be sometime between 1 and 2 a.m. in the morning.The cause of death is believed to have been a single gun shot wound to the upper body. The woman had black hair and a scar near her lower right ankle. She was wearing dark blue “capri” pants with pink and white accents, a pink tank top and black Reebok tennis shoes with pink trim. She was carrying no identification.
Oakes said his department is chasing down any and all leads, but thus far has come up with no suspects. He is asking that anyone with any information please contact his office.  The woman’s body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Officer in Richmond for an autopsy, and Oakes is hoping to have a picture of the woman available soon to distribute to the media for help in identifying her.