Man accused of killing girlfriend in Fayetteville arrested days later near middle school in Virginia

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Friday, October 1, 2021
Fayetteville murder suspect caught in Virginia
A man accused of killing his 21-year-old girlfriend nearly 2 weeks ago is now behind bars.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The man accused of killing his 21-year-old girlfriend in Fayetteville was arrested near a middle school in Virginia, according to area law enforcement.

US Marshals and the Fayetteville Police Department identified Travis Jefferson, 27, as the suspect in the murder of Nicoda Melvin on Sept. 19.

According to police, Jefferson and Melvin were dating and living together.

On Sept. 30 in the early afternoon, officers learned that Jefferson might be in a residential area near Booker T. Washington Middle School in Newport News, Virginia. Officers locked the school down as a precaution while they searched the area.

Officers captured Jefferson during their search and took him into custody. He'll face charges in the death of Melvin.

Four other people were shot a few days after Melvin was killed--three of them were related to her. Two of them (her brother Marquez and cousin Konye) were both killed. The third victim, who is Melvin's other brother, was hospitalized with critical injuries. The fourth victim was injured but expected to fully recover.

It's unclear if Jefferson is a suspect in those later shootings. At last check he faced no charges in that case.