Brandon Chase Jones, 36, of Morganton, North Carolina, was shot and killed in the early hours of October 20, 2021. Deputies from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a home on Royce Drive and found Jones in the basement without a pulse; emergency personnel pronounced him deceased at 2:46 a.m.

A 56-year-old man, Rodney Howard Sanders, was found outside the residence and taken into custody at the scene. Jones had been staying at Sanders’ home; neighbors said the men had been joking together the previous day but got into an argument that night. Sanders allegedly asked Jones to leave, and the dispute escalated to gunfire. Sanders was charged with murder and held without bond, with his first court appearance set for October 21, 2021. The Burke County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Drexel police and Burke County EMS, continues to investigate and has not released further details about motive or other possible suspects.

Did anyone in the area know Jones or Sanders and see or hear anything that night?