Charlotte man found dead along Caldwell County highway

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A Charlotte man was found shot to death along a major highway in Caldwell County, deputies say.

A driver made the discovery around 2 a.m. Sunday off Highway 321 just north of Highway 268. The area is about 5 miles north of Lenoir.

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Investigators confirmed Jeimy Bohorquez Reyes, of Charlotte, was shot multiple times. Now, a murder investigation is underway.

Deputies say as they were investigating the death in Caldwell County, a family member was filing a missing persons report in Charlotte for Reyes.

Family members tell our partners at Telemundo Charlotte they last saw Reyes late Saturday night. Investigators believe his car ended up in Caldwell County, where he was killed, and then the car was stolen and driven the more than 60 miles back to Charlotte. The car was found only hours after his death.

Channel 9′s Dave Faherty learned the victim did not have his wallet on him and was found just off the pavement. Detectives found his cellphone nearby.

Neighbors react

Charlotte man found dead on Caldwell County highway

Several neighbors in the Patterson community said they were stunned by where it happened.

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“To me, that sounds like they were trying to get rid of the body in a hurry. Maybe they were scared or it wasn’t planned,” said Amanda Mayfield, an employee at Cheek’s Grill.

The restaurant is not far from where the victim was found.

There are several back roads into the mountains, but Highway 321 is the busiest road in the area.

“Why would anyone get shot anyway? But especially right here in view of the traffic, plus houses and the store,” said Grace Gentry.

“I mean, it’s hard to explain unless they wanted to make sure he was found,” Jesse Woods said. “They didn’t want to wait two or three days for someone to find him.”

Right now, investigators are canvassing the area for surveillance video. They’re also looking through Reyes’ phone for leads.

>> Telemundo Charlotte is speaking with the Reyes family and will have more on Eyewitness News starting at 6 p.m.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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