Edward Geouge III, 28, was found dead on June 9, 2021, near an overturned Honda on Saw Road in China Grove, North Carolina. The vehicle had crashed after running off the road and striking a fence; Geouge’s body was discovered partially outside the car. What first looked like a fatal crash was later ruled a homicide after the medical examiner determined he died from a gunshot wound.

Detectives identified Rene Oscar Gomez Jr., known as Junior, as a suspect. Gomez lived on Saw Road and had addresses in Durham and Charlotte. He was arrested the day after Geouge’s body was found on an unrelated charge; warrants were then obtained and he was charged with murder and being held in Rowan County without bond. Geouge was born in Mecklenburg County, lived in Kannapolis with his wife Victoria, and had two sons, Jeremiah and Titus. He worked as a car painter and mechanic.

Anyone with information about the shooting or the events on Saw Road that day is asked to contact investigators.