A man from North Carolina has been accused of murder following the discovery of his roommate's deceased body buried in the backyard of their shared residence in New Hanover County.
Elvin Noel Baca, aged 34, was taken into custody on Wednesday for the killing of Lawrence Grabka, aged 69, and also faces charges of concealing or neglecting to report a death.
The authorities of New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office mentioned that Grabka was declared missing by a close acquaintance who noticed that he did not answer her call on Tuesday, and found his door unlocked when she visited, WECT reported. She informed the dispatcher that she found his phone and wallet inside and that it was unusual for him to be unresponsive since she was the one who drove him to his destinations.
“He’s not home, his wallet’s there, his phone is there. He has no car or license. I take him on, to his grocery shopping. I take him for all of his needs,” the friend said during the call, according to WWAY.
Deputies visited the residence and spoke with Baca, then initiated their inquiry, eventually uncovering Grabka’s body in a shallow grave in the backyard.
“The circumstances surrounding this case are deeply concerning, and our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones during this difficult time; our priority remains seeking justice for the victim,” stated Sheriff Edward McMahon.
Katherine Roush informed WECT that she was the friend who visited the house to check on Grabka, whom she described as “the sweetest man in the world.”
“I saw [Baca] that night, the night he probably did it,” she said. “Larry wasn’t answering his phone. So, I stopped in and Larry wasn’t home. [Baca] was sitting in his car. He said he hadn’t seen him, and he smiled at me and told me he loved me. Yeah, I can’t get that image out of my head.”
Baca appeared in court on Thursday and was ordered held without bond. He is due in court again on April 18.
[Featured image: Elvin Noel Baca/New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office]