HENRY COUNTY, VA – During a news conference on Tuesday, Henry County Sheriff Wayne Davis announced that a man has been charged for a 2016 murder.
Deputies found badly decomposed remains lying near a wood line at an abandoned house in the 5100 block of Appalachian Drive in Fieldale on August 8, 2016.
The Chief Medical Examiner's Office positively identified the remains as Everett Odell Bivins Jr. through the use of DNA analysis.
The manner of death was ruled homicide, according to Sheriff Davis.
Bivins had last been seen on August 1 and he was officially reported missing on August 5.
“We diligently investigated this case but eventually, we stopped receiving leads and tips,” Davis said. “Our investigators never let this case rest and relentlessly pursued what information we had. Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrew Nester is an invaluable partner to this office and he offered additional resources and invested his time into this investigation.”
A Henry County Grand Jury indicted Kenneth Edward Gearheart for:
Aggravated murder of a witness
Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
Possession of a firearm by a violent felon
Gearhart is currently incarcerated in Keen Mountain Correctional Facility in Buchanan County.
In 2019, narcotics investigators charged Gearheart with 14 drug distribution charges and he was sentenced to 203 years with 95 years to be served.
Anyone having information about this incident is asked to call the Henry County Sheriff's Office at 276-638-8751 or Crimestoppers at 276-632-7463.
The Crimestoppers program offers rewards of up to $2,500.00 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information determine the amount of reward paid.
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