A 79-year-old man was found dead in the road in Henry County, and the the discovery is being investigated as a homicide.
Johnny Carson Carter, of Ridgeway, was identified as the victim.
According to Virginia State Police, troopers and deputies responded on Thursday morning at 1:21 a.m. to the report of an unresponsive male on Vista View Lane.
A Virginia State Police crash reconstruction team and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation-Salem division responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.
The injuries were initially thought to have been caused by a vehicle. However, during the investigation, troopers found the injuries were not caused by a collision; the evidence indicated the incident was “clearly a homicide.”
The incident on Vista View Lane is believed to have occurred between 12:30 a.m. and 1:20 a.m.
Henry County surrounds the City of Martinsville. The county has six districts: Axton, Bassett, Collinsville, Horsepasture, Reed Creek and Ridgeway.
Virginia State Police is asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact (276) 632-3060, (800) 542-5959 or [email protected].