Wright was arrested in Winston Salem Monday afternoon and was returned to Granville County by Oxford detectives and the SBI.
Wright is a nephew of the victim, whose body was found buried in a shallow grave last Wednesday in a wooded area adjacent to a vacant house at the end of 4th St. in the city. Kirk Wright had been reported missing by family members earlier in the day. Preliminary reports from the Medical Examiner's Office in Chapel Hill indicate that the primary cause of death was asphyxiation.
Oxford detectives and SBI agents had spent days interviewing witnesses who had been in contact with Wright since Wednesday, officials said.
"We have been actively involved with the investigation of Mr. Wright's murder since Wednesday night, said John Wolford, the chief of the Oxford Police Department. "The suspect, Michael Wright is a convicted felon who recently got out of prison. He has an extensive criminal history and should be considered armed and potentially violent. We are confident this was not a random act of violence in an otherwise relatively peaceful neighborhood".
Wright is currently being held in the Granville County Jail under no bond. He is charged with 1st degree murder and is due in court February 8.
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