On December 3, 2023, at about 7:30 p.m. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers responded to a reported shooting in the 7100 block of Snow Lane in east Charlotte. Officers found 64-year-old Rickie Burris with gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene despite medical attention.

Detectives later identified 43-year-old Matthew Cornelius Whitstyne as the primary suspect. Whitstyne surrendered to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office on December 26, 2023, and was charged with murder; he is being held without bond. The motive and any relationship between Burris and Whitstyne have not been disclosed.

CMPD continues to investigate and is asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Does anyone in the area have information about Burris, his activities that evening, or his connection to Whitstyne?