It happened just before 7:50 p.m. when the sheriff's office received a call about a stabbing at 5207 Temperance Hall Road in Elm City.
When deputies arrived, they found William Earl Holland dead at the scene.
[Ads /]
Authorities said there was no forced entry into the home, and that the stabbing did not appear to be a random act.
Holland's black 1988 Chevrolet S10 Blazer was also missing from the home.
Around 2 a.m., 27-year-old Charles David Morris of Rocky Mount was arrested in connection with the incident.
Authorities said robbery was the motive for the crime.
Morris has been charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and felony larceny of a motor vehicle. He is being held without bond in the Edgecombe County Detention Center.
Report a Typo