Ezzard Charles Stroud Jr., a 50-year-old man, was found shot to death in his Chapel Hill home on June 10, 2022. Chapel Hill Police discovered his body around 5:30 a.m.; the neighborhood was described as tight-knit and low-crime, and crisis counselors were brought in to support residents after the killing.

Investigators quickly identified 41-year-old Nathaniel Shamone Byrd of Chapel Hill as the primary suspect. Byrd was charged with first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery; he turned himself in on June 15, 2022, and was held without bond at the Orange County Detention Center with a first court appearance scheduled for June 16, 2022. The Chapel Hill Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation continued work to gather evidence and determine a motive.

Family and friends remembered Stroud as a kind, well-mannered man who was deeply involved in his children’s lives. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the police.