The deceased, identified as Emmanuel Kwame Gbedee, previously served as an aide to the late Mabutu Nyenpan, former public works minister.
BENSON, North Carolina (N.C.)—Authorities in the U.S. state of North Carolina are investigating the death of a 57-year-old Liberian national found dead in the backseat of a vehicle in Johnston County early Sunday morning.
The deceased, identified as Emmanuel Kwame Gbedee, previously served as an aide to the late Mabutu Nyenpan, former public works minister.
At approximately 1:06 a.m., the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and the N.C. State Highway Patrol received two separate reports regarding a suspicious individual and a vehicle in the 2500 block of Holly Grove Road. One caller alerted the sheriff’s office about a man dressed in all-black clothing seen walking outside a nearby shelter.
Another caller reported a vehicle in the same area with its hazard lights on, raising concerns that it may have been involved in an accident.
Upon arrival, a trooper discovered Gbedee’s body in the backseat of the vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound.
A crime scene has been established, and the sheriff’s office is treating Gbedee’s death as a homicide. As of 11:30 a.m. on Monday, no suspects have been identified, and the investigation is ongoing.
