CHOWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A man has been charged with killing a person believed to be an Elizabeth City State University student, the Chowan County Sheriff's Office said.
29-year-old Jordan Isaiah Thomas was charged with murder on Monday. He was already in custody on charges out of Beaufort County for larceny of a motor vehicle and concealing the death of a person, but his murder charge is in Chowan County.
He was issued no bond and is currently being held at the Chowan County detention Center.
Authorities said the body of a woman was found in Beaufort County on January 17 in the trunk of a car owned by Thomas. Authorities believe the body is 19-year-old ECSU student Amarriah Smith. Identification is pending from the medical examiner's office, which will also determine the cause of death.
The vehicle was parked in a lot private parking lot at 6055 U.S. Highway 264 East, Washington, North Carolina. A tow truck company was called by the private company to move the vehicle.
The car was towed to a facility where a tow truck employee found the body inside.
13News Now is told the victim is believed to be Amarriah Smith, whose friends and family called her "Mari." She was a freshman at ECSU who had dreams of pursuing a degree in Elementary Education.
The Chancellor of the University sent a letter to students, informing them of her death and said in part of a statement:
"Please keep Amarriah’s family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. As our Viking community navigates this tragic loss, we are here to support you through your grief."
Investigators believe that Thomas abandoned his car and Smith's body in a private parking lot and stole a truck from that location. The stolen truck was found at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital where Thomas was arrested.
Law enforcement believes Smith was murdered at a different location and that evidence was found at a home in Edenton where Thomas had been living. It is unclear if the murder happened there or at another location and how the victim was murdered.
Authorities believe that Thomas and Smith knew each other.
The Chowan County Sheriff's Office said several agencies are working together on the case because of the multiple crime scenes. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Pasquotank Sheriff's Office, and the Chowan County Sheriff's Office are participating in the joint investigation.