Marine deserter sought in fatal shooting of Virginia man

HARDY, Va. – Authorities in Virginia are searching for a Marine who deserted his post in North Carolina and has since been named as a person of interest in the shooting death of his mother’s boyfriend.

News outlets report 22-year-old Michael Alexander Brown is wanted for questioning in the Saturday death of Rodney Brown in Franklin County, Virginia. Authorities say Michael Brown is a combat engineer who deserted his Camp Lejeune post last month and was later spotted in Franklin County.

The Craven County Sheriff’s Office says Michael Brown may now be in North Carolina as his last known address was in New Bern, around 250 miles (400 kilometres) southeast of Franklin County and 50 miles (80 kilometres) north of Camp Lejeune.

Authorities say anyone who spots him should act with “extreme caution.”