Second arrest made in Bertie murder

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, February 8, 2011

WINDSOR – A second arrest has been made here in the death of a Martin County man.

Bertie County Sheriff John Holley reported that 26-year-old Tydreak Winston of Windsor turned himself in Thursday morning at the Sheriff’s Office and was charged with first degree murder.

Winston now joins co-conspirator Selran Leevron Watford, 22, of Windsor in Bertie-Martin Regional Jail, both held without bond. Watford was arrested Tuesday.

Both men are accused of murdering Isaac Maurice Bland, 28, of Williamson. Sheriff Holley received a tip on Monday that the victim was in a body of water near Middle Track Road, located off Woodard Road (south of Windsor off US 17).

Bland’s body was taken to the state Medical Examiner’s office in Greenville for an autopsy. Holley said he has the results of the pathology report, but did not release the findings, citing a need to first contact the victim’s family members prior to publicly announcing the cause of death.

Sheriff Holley said investigators are still working on a motive for the murder. He added that it was too early into the investigation to determine if Bland was murdered at a different location than where his body was found.

“We still have some more people to interview in this case,” Holley said. “We do know that Mr. Bland was hanging out with some friends in Bertie County Sunday night into early Monday morning.”

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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