Red flags: Why was escaped Halifax murder suspect allowed to bond out of jail?
Murder suspect Shelvy Edwards has been on the run from Halifax County for nearly a week.
Law enforcement said Edwards, 27, cut off his ankle monitor after being allowed to bond out of jail – despite having some red flags in his past.
Thursday marked the seventh day of searching for Edwards, who is one of five men accused of murdering Fredrick Lee in May 2021 at a home on Monroe Street in Roanoke Rapids.
“At this particular time, we believe that he’s fully capable of creating harm on an individual, and we believe that he is dangerous,” Halifax County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Scott Hall said.
After Edwards’ arrest in fall 2021, Edwards was assigned a bond of $300,000. He bonded out of jail in April 2023, and on Aug. 4, investigators say Edwards cut off his ankle monitor and left the area.
“We definitely believe he is in and out of the state, moving back and forth from different various states,” Hall said.
WRAL News has learned that in 2013, Edwards, then 17-years-old, was being held in a juvenile facility in Virginia when he escaped after a riot. He and three other inmates were found hiding in a woman’s home and recaptured.
WRAL News asked the Halifax Sheriff’s Office if that information was considered during Edwards’ bond hearing.
“In those situations, the district attorney along with the judge at the time had a hearing to discuss those items,” Hall said. “It would solely be up to them.”
WRAL News reached out to Halifax County District Attorney Kim Scott, asking if Edwards’ prior escape attempt was considered when his bond was set, and why a murder suspect was given a bond at all.
“The bond in this case was set by the Superior Court Judge presiding at the time, Judge Norlan Graves, over the State’s objection,” Scott responded in a statement.
Graves has since retired from the bench.
The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of Edwards to contact CrimeStoppers at 252-583-4444.
