Dominic Connelly, 24, faces murder, arson and attempted murder counts tied to an October killing and a deputy’s stabbing.
NEW BERN, N.C. — One day after deputies captured him in an abandoned house outside Vanceboro, Dominic Liam Connelly stood before a judge on Friday, Dec. 12, and was ordered held without bond while prosecutors prepare the case. Authorities say the 24-year-old is accused of killing his grandmother in October and stabbing a sheriff’s deputy days later.
The brief court appearance marked the first procedural step since the six-week manhunt ended Thursday. Investigators have accused Connelly of murdering 72-year-old Patricia Lopedote at her home near Havelock on Oct. 25 and setting the house on fire, then attacking a Craven County deputy during an Oct. 29 encounter at a Vanceboro restaurant. The judge’s ruling moves the case to the charging and discovery phase as law enforcement shifts from search operations to evidence review and grand jury preparation in the coming weeks.
Deputies said they found Connelly shortly before midday Thursday, Dec. 11, hiding inside a vacant structure north of Vanceboro along Business U.S. 17 near Muddy Lane. He was taken into custody without shots fired and transported to a hospital for evaluation. Sheriff Chip Hughes said Connelly was unarmed and “said very little” at the time of arrest. An ambulance left the scene as investigators worked inside and outside the building, collecting items and photographing rooms before towing a vehicle from the property for processing.
Warrants issued in late October list counts of murder and first-degree arson tied to Lopedote’s death, as well as attempted first-degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer causing serious injury, and resisting a public officer in connection with the attack on the deputy. Officials said Lopedote’s vehicle was taken from the scene and later recovered. The deputy survived stab wounds and returned home after treatment. Authorities have not discussed a possible motive and said there is no indication of other victims. They added that, while numerous tips came in from across Eastern North Carolina, most credible sightings kept search teams circling the Vanceboro area.
Records outline a tight October timeline: the Oct. 25 fire and discovery of Lopedote’s body; warrants requested Oct. 28 and Oct. 30; a confrontation inside a Bojangles restroom on Oct. 29 when a deputy was stabbed; and weeks of ground searches that followed. Through November, deputies, state investigators and federal partners used drones, K-9 units and trail cameras to monitor pine cuts, creek bottoms and edges of farm fields. The FBI posted a notice seeking assistance, and local agencies increased patrols around schools, churches and rural intersections while deer season and holiday events drew crowds.
At Friday’s appearance, a district court judge informed Connelly of the charges and his right to counsel before denying bond. Prosecutors said they plan to seek indictments in superior court. Next steps include transfer to state custody for safekeeping, further forensic testing on debris from the fire scene and items recovered during the arrest, and a scheduling conference expected before the end of December. Officials said any future hearings will be announced on the court calendar once indictments are returned.
Outside the courthouse, a handful of neighbors and relatives declined interviews but expressed relief as they left. “It’s been a long few weeks for everybody,” said Teresa Hall, who lives near the Havelock home where the fire occurred. Along Business U.S. 17, shop owners described nights of helicopter passes and roadblocks. “You heard dogs and saw flashlights in the woods,” said Jason Moore, who runs a repair garage north of Vanceboro. “Folks locked up early until they got him.”
As of Monday, Connelly remains in custody without bond and is expected to be moved to a state facility while investigators complete interviews and lab work. The district attorney’s office said it will announce an indictment date and the first superior court setting once paperwork is filed later this month.
Author note: Last updated December 15, 2025.