A quiet morning in the Dundas area of Brunswick County turned into a crime scene on September 29, 2024, when officers found two people shot to death near the Lunenburg‑Brunswick county line. The first discovery was a man’s body on the shoulder of Blue Bird Road; a short distance away investigators located 48‑year‑old April Melissa Thomas of Richmond and 50‑year‑old Winston Edward Hubbard Jr., also of Richmond, both fatally shot. Their deaths were investigated as a double homicide.

Within days the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office named a person of interest and obtained warrants for 37‑year‑old Joseph Lee Powell, who was already wanted on a probation violation. Powell was located and arrested in Richmond on October 2 by the U.S. Marshals Service with help from Richmond police. During an interview with Brunswick County investigators he confessed to the killings and was charged with two counts of murder, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; he is being held without bond. Authorities say the crime appears isolated; the motive has not been released.

If anyone knew April Melissa Thomas or has information about her movements before September 29, please share what they know with investigators.