A 20 year old Danville man was arrested early Tuesday morning and
charged with the first degree murder of the woman found on Ashton Hall
Road early last Saturday morning. Steven Leonard Nelson of 764 Holland
Road, Danville was arrested shortly after midnight by Danville Police
detectives and tactical team members along with deputies and
investigators from both the Pittsyvania and Halifax County Sheriffs'
Offices.  He was also charged with the use of a firearm in the
commission of murder. The victim, who has not yet been identified, was
shot once in the head.
Investigators with the Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office and
detectives with the Danville Police Department have been working
closely with the investigators from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office
for the last several days, following leads and interviewing witnesses.
On Monday, July 9, Pittsylvania County investigators were provided
critical information from a witness that led to the identity of the
suspect.
Search warrants were obtained for the suspect's residence and vehicle
and the Danville Police Department Tactical Unit executed the documents
late Monday night. They recovered a 9 mm handgun at the home, along
with other items of physical evidence relating to the homicide.
Nelson's vehicle was also seized for evidentiary purposes.
Nelson is being held under no bond and will be taken to the Blue Ridge
Regional Jail - Halifax Adult Detention Center to be arraigned as soon
as possible.
Halifax County Sheriff D. J. Oakes would like to thank the community
for the many phone calls and information they passed along that led to
this arrest. The cooperation and assistance provided by the Danville
Police Department and the Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office was
overwhelming, he said. "This investigation was concluded in a timely
manner thanks to the willingness of these agencies to focus their
efforts on pursuing leads in their jurisdictions on our behalf," Oakes
said.