Murder suspect arrested
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on February 19, 2008 1:55 PM
Police in Las Vegas arrested a man wanted in connection with the shooting death of a 33-year-old man found in woods off of Salem Church Road, a detective says.
Goldsboro Investigator Dave Cloutier said authorities caught up with Devon Dejatorian Jones, who also goes by the last name Waters, in Clarke County, Nev. on Saturday.
The body of Joseph Antonio Payan was found by a Granville Drive woman who heard gunfire behind her home late on Nov. 17, according to reports.
Police have had information for about two weeks that Jones was in Vegas.
Jones may have been in Nevada because of his acquaintances who live in California, Cloutier said.
"He does have some connections to California, about two hours from Vegas," Cloutier said. "We're just waiting on his extradition."
Las Vegas authorities, who may have been helped by the U.S. Marshals Service, also filed two misdemeanor charges against Jones for resisting arrest and giving a fake name to police, Cloutier said.
Police have said that Jones has ties to Kinston, Greenville, Greensboro and New York City. His last address was on Rebecca Lane in Kinston, according to police.
The Granville Drive woman said she counted eight shots the night before Goldsboro police found Payan's body.
She convinced her husband to explore the woods with her the next day after a late-night search by Goldsboro police turned up nothing.
The woman found Payan's body in a crumpled heap, she reported, dead of multiple gunshot wounds and with blood on his face.
Cloutier said there is no indication that Payan's murder was drug related, but the investigator said a narcotics connection may exist.
"It's still possible that it was drug related," Cloutier said.
Investigation into Payan's murder is not closed and Cloutier said more arrests in the case are still likely.
The Goldsboro investigator has not sought warrants other than for Jones, however.
Cloutier said it has been difficult to talk to "a live, actual person" when calling Las Vegas authorities for more information about the details of Jones' arrest.