On the evening of January 17, 2017, 28-year-old Michael Lee Nance, known as Mike, was found inside his vehicle in the 2300 block of Staunton Avenue NW in Roanoke with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was able to speak with officers at the scene and was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he later died. Investigators determined the shooting occurred in the 1800 block of Staunton Avenue and was linked to drug activity.

The investigation led to two 19-year-old suspects. The morning after the shooting, police arrested Michael Antonio David Jr. at his home and charged him with second-degree murder, and a second-degree murder warrant was issued for Markeith O’Shea Bryson Jr., who was being sought by authorities. In April 2017 the second-degree murder charges against both David Jr. and Bryson Jr. were dismissed; the court did not disclose reasons for the dismissals.

The case left unanswered questions in the community about who was responsible for Nance’s death and how the investigation reached that point. If anyone has information about Michael Lee Nance, his movements that night, or the people involved, please share what you know with the Roanoke authorities.