The body of a man found in a wooded area in Morganton is believed to be that of a suspect in a triple homicide earlier this month.
Burke County Police reported that the body was discovered on Friday night. The discovery occurred at around 7:30 p.m. at a location near the end of Henrys Glen Drive. Police believe the body to be that of Kenneth Douglas Powell, who was wanted for June 8 shootings that resulted in the death of three people.
The homicide took place at a home in the 3400 block of Enola Road. Police arrived at the location to find the bodies of 23-year-old Trae Ward, 57-year-old Pamela Ward, and 22-year-old Jimmy Stamey. An infant was also found inside the home, but the child was uninjured.
Police identified Powell as a suspect in the case, and a search began for him.
The body was found about a mile from the suspect’s home in the 100 block of Carolina Street in Morganton. Police say that the body was already badly decomposed. A revolver was discovered next to the body.
Police are waiting for the results of the autopsy to confirm identity and to determine cause of death. Forensics will also be performed to determine if the revolver was the one used to kill the three victims of the June 8 homicide.
Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Burke County Police at 828-438-5500. Police particularly ask anyone who saw Powell near the Henrys Glen Drive area between the evening of the 7th and the morning of the 8th to contact police.
