49-year-old found dead under car near Harnett County home

Deputies responded to a well-being check at a home at 12549 NC Highway 42 in Holly Springs at about 9:45 a.m. and found Phillip Simon Sauls, 49, under a car in a wooded area behind the home, according to Sheriff Wayne Coats.

Coats said Sauls lived alone and operated a towing and mechanic service from his home.

Harnett County investigators spent most of Thursday, going through Sauls' property and his house, looking for any evidence of what happened

People who knew him are shocked.

"He was a good guy," Alex Bradley said. "I lived right down the road, like I said. you son't really see things like that happening around here. It hits close to home. It really does."

Anybody with information is asked to call the Harnett County Sheriff's Office at 910-893-9111.

Sauls's son Darrell Sauls said he wants everyone to remember his father's caring spirit.

"He would answer the phone and be there for you, no matter what the situation was," he said. "He would be there for you and he would give the shirt off of his back for you."

Sauls says, at this point, he can only do what his dad would want him to do.

"Take care of his property, his animal, like he would, be there for them. Hopefully he will look down and be thankful for what I've done for him, and I'm thankful for what he's done for me."

According to his son, Sauls also took care of elderly relatives nearby.