North Carolina

Man accused in fatal shooting and house fire on NC coast is arrested in Texas, cops say

Authorities in Texas arrested a man Sunday in connection with a fatal shooting and fire on the North Carolina coast earlier this month, police say.

Police were called to a beach house on Emerald Isle the night of Jan. 9 and say they found the home engulfed in flames and 31-year-old Carl Eugene Jones Jr. shot to death inside, McClatchy News previously reported.

The home was in a popular tourist area, according to McClatchy News, and police posted an announcement on Facebook the next day assuring residents and visitors that the island is safe.

Patrick Keith-Reich Whitley, 25, of Havelock, was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service and local police in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to a release from the Emerald Isle Police Department.

He is being held without bond and will be taken back to North Carolina where he will face murder and first-degree arson charges, police say.

The arrest was a collaboration between several local, state and federal agencies, police say.

Police have not released any other information.

This story was originally published January 20, 2020 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Man accused in fatal shooting and house fire on NC coast is arrested in Texas, cops say."

Related Stories from The State in Columbia SC
Bailey Aldridge
The News & Observer
Bailey Aldridge is a reporter covering real-time news in North and South Carolina. She has a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW