Almost a decade after a Charlotte man went missing, authorities have now tied the discovery of skeletal remains in a Davidson County scrapyard to his disappearance, declaring it a homicide investigation. Last Wednesday, at the Leonard Salvage scrapyard, an employee reported finding human remains which were later identified as belonging to 53-year-old Lee Anthony Funderburk, who was reported missing back in 2016. WCNC reported that the remains were found in a vehicle registered to Funderburk's mother, Mattie Mae Funderburk.
According to QC News, the last confirmed sighting of Lee Funderburk was in north Charlotte in March 2016. The remains in question were found just one day after the vehicle had been towed to the scrapyard from Charlotte, and startlingly, it was mere minutes from being shredded when the discovery was made, as recounted by WBTV. Elton Robinson, Lee Funderburk's son, shared his family's paradoxical sense of relief and overwhelming grief, "I didn't know whether to shout for joy or just fall and bawl like a baby," he said, manifesting feelings that had been restrained by years without closure.
The clarity that came with the identification of his father's remains has provided Robinson with a "sense of freedom" and a resolve to seek justice. As representatives of the Davidson County Sheriff's Office suggested in the WBTV report, the crime did not transpire in Davidson County, which has led Charlotte police to spearhead the ongoing investigation.
Neighbors and friends, like Corey Robinson who was unrelated to the family, recalled Funderburk as a convivial figure in the community. "The community's been wondering what happened to him. He's just like, he just went missing," Corey told QC News. This sentiment mirrors the confusion shared by many over the years, who could not fathom Funderburk's sudden disappearance. Elton Robinson also acknowledged his father's complex past, balanced with memories of his protective and joyful spirit, a testament to his multifaceted nature as a person beyond his run-ins with the law.
The investigation into Lee Anthony Funderburk's death continues and officials urge anyone with information related to the case to contact Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or to speak directly with homicide detectives at 704-432-TIPS.
