Family member arrested for double killing of 11-year-old

ROCKY MOUNT, Va. (WDBJ) – The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has arrested an 11-year-old on a double murder charge.

On October 6, 2013, the body of 53-year-old Vicky Purdy was found in a burned vehicle in the 800 block of Philpott Road in Franklin County, near the Henry County line, after she was reported missing three days earlier. Autopsy results revealed she had been shot in the head.

Two months later, the body of 54-year-old Ricky Dodson was found in a wooded area off Johnson Hill Road, about a mile from where Purdy's vehicle and body were found. Both deaths were homicides.

According to investigators, the two had an on-and-off relationship.

On October 4, 2024, Daniel Elwood Duncan, 43, of North Carolina, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of using or displaying a firearm in the commission of a felony. Duncan is Dodson's nephew and has been a person of interest since the beginning of the investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

No information has yet been given about a possible motive.

The sheriff's office shared this statement:

This arrest is the culmination of the tireless work of our investigative department and the joint efforts of those who never gave up on this case. We hope that this development brings some closure and peace to the families of the victims who have suffered unimaginable loss for so long.

While we understand that no arrest can undo the pain and grief of the victims' families, we hope that this progress in the case will lead to a sense of justice and resolution. The Sheriff's Office would like to express our deepest gratitude to the families for their patience and trust throughout this lengthy investigation.

Duncan remains in custody in North Carolina pending extradition proceedings to Franklin County.

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