Murder suspect found dead and naked in woods after break-ins, stabbing dog, NC cops say

The search for a homicide suspect came to a confounding end when police in North Carolina found the man’s naked body about a mile away from the crime scene, according to Wilmington police.

Investigators still don’t know what killed Elijah Keever, but if he “had not died in the wooded area, he would have been arrested and gone to trial for first degree murder,” police said in a Dec. 23 news release.

Results of an autopsy and toxicology report are expected to supply badly needed answers, officials said. He was 23, WECT reports.

Keever is suspected in the fatal stabbing of 62-year-old Randy Davis around 10 p.m. on Dec. 13.

Davis was found on the side of the road in the 5700 block of Park Avenue, an area where a series of break-ins had occurred the same night, officials said.

“The suspect in Randy Davis’ homicide is also suspected of breaking into those two buildings,” officials said.

“In the 100 block of Hinton Ave., a dog inside that home was apparently stabbed to death during that break-in. The suspect then left the residence, and it is believed that the suspect encountered Davis on Park Avenue and killed him.”

Keever fled the scene of the stabbing and is suspected of then breaking into a business in the 100 block of Sebrell Avenue, officials said.

“The suspect at some point took off all of his clothing, and ran across Oleander Dr.,” police said.

“A citizen who saw a naked man run across Oleander Dr. flagged down additional Wilmington police officers to report this sighting. Officers attempted to locate the ‘naked man’ using (dogs), but were unable to locate him.”

It wasn’t until the next morning that Keever was identified as a suspect in Davis’ death and “detectives were typing the warrants out for Keever” when someone reported finding a man’s naked body, officials said.

The discovery was made in a wooded area off Oleander Drive, near a mobile home park. The site is about 1.2 miles southeast of where the stabbing took place.

“Detectives responded to that scene and determined the deceased subject to be Elijah Keever,” officials said.

“His cause of death is currently unknown, and we are awaiting toxicology reports from his autopsy.”

This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Murder suspect found dead and naked in woods after break-ins, stabbing dog, NC cops say."