A US Marine charged with murder in the shooting death of his mother’s boyfriend may now be hiding out in the woods with at least one weapon, police have said.
Michael Alexander Brown, a 22-year-old stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, was charged on Monday with second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony, CNN reported.
Police accuse him of killing 54-year-old Rodney Brown, who his mother was dating, at the couple’s residence nearly 300 miles away from his base. The suspect and victim are not related, despite sharing the same last name.
The Marine’s mother found her boyfriend dead inside their Virginia home on Saturday afternoon, before calling the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said the Marine was likely “armed with a high-powered rifle and may have access to other weapons”.
They also said he could have been living in the woods after abandoning his post at Camp Lejeune on 18 October, adding that he tends to visit forests and national parks.
The 22-year-old was not living with his mother and her boyfriend, though he was reportedly recently seen near Franklin County.
Police also said they believed he ditched his 1976 Cadillac during the weekend for a black 2008 Lincoln town car that may have a North Carolina licence plate reading EHP 4877.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Captain Philip Young told CNN the suspect “could be anywhere” and that search efforts being restricted to just Virginia and North Carolina “could change” in the days ahead.
Officials urged anyone who encounters the 22-year-old to “use extreme caution and notify local law enforcement immediately by calling 911”.
