Michael Dodge II, 35, was fatally shot on October 21, 2025, while working in Stafford County, just north of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Dodge, a contractor from Caroline County who handled foreclosures and vacant properties, had arrived at a home in the 600 block of Mountain View Road to change the locks. He believed the house was unoccupied but was unexpectedly confronted by a man inside.

During the confrontation Dodge called his employer; the coworker on the line heard him say someone in the property was being aggressive and had a gun before the line filled with the sound of gunfire and then disconnected. Deputies found Dodge unresponsive in the driveway, shot multiple times, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police established a perimeter after observing movement inside the house. After a brief standoff, 64-year-old Donald Thomas of Stafford—who had been staying at the residence—was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder and unlawfully shooting or wounding in the commission of a felony. He is being held without bond. Dodge’s parents described him as kind-hearted and said he was doing work he had done many times before.

Did anyone in Stafford County see activity around Mountain View Road that morning or have information about the house’s occupancy?