A 19-year-old woman from Blairs, Virginia, is behind bars and facing a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of a 21-year-old Caswell County man whose body was found in his own driveway back in March. Xence Mahogany Rodgers was arrested Monday in connection with the killing of Maurice Thomas Jr., according to the Caswell County Sheriff's Office, following a monthslong search that at one point stretched into Virginia.
Deputies went to Thomas's house on Ed Rowland Road in Blanch on March 22, where they found him dead in the driveway, according to the Burlington Times-News. myfox8.com reports that deputies were called to the home around 7 p.m. that evening. A woman identifying herself as Thomas's girlfriend had reported a self-inflicted gunshot wound to 911, investigators said, though Thomas was ultimately found dead outside the home after what deputies described as a shooting.
Rodgers was charged with one count of first-degree murder and booked into the Caswell County Detention Center, where she is being held without bond, the station's report notes. Investigators have said Thomas's killing does not appear to be drug-related or gang-related, though a Virginia arrest warrant for Rodgers reportedly stated she is known to associate with armed gang members, according to court records cited in the case.
A Neighbor's Account and a Months-Long Search
A neighbor reportedly told investigators they saw someone dressed in black walking toward the home and heard two gunshots around midnight, per the same account. The sheriff's office has said it is investigating Thomas's death as a homicide.
The case took months to reach an arrest. In August, the Caswell Messenger reported that the sheriff's office was asking the public for help locating Rodgers as a person of interest in the March homicide, noting she was known to frequent Danville and Chatham, Virginia, as well as Blairs, Virginia. That appeal came after an earlier report indicated no arrests had been made in the case at that point.
Victim Worked for City of Burlington
Thomas reportedly worked as a contractor for the City of Burlington's solid waste department, according to the Burlington Times-News. Family members have said they are seeking answers in his death and are determined to see the case through, according to earlier coverage from myfox8.com.
