DANVILLE, Va. (BTW21) — New and troubling details have emerged in the murder case of 78-year-old Arvel Shrewsbury, whose body was discovered in his home on Pineview Drive last Friday.
Jeanette Perez Staton, the victim’s caregiver, has been arrested after admitting to killing Shrewsbury more than a week before police found his body.
According to arrest warrants, Staton confessed to a family member last Friday that she had killed Shrewsbury eight days earlier.
This family member immediately alerted authorities, leading to Staton’s arrest on the same day Shrewsbury’s body was discovered.
The documents provide a harrowing account of the events leading to Shrewsbury’s death.
The warrants state that an argument between Staton and Shrewsbury escalated into a physical confrontation.
During the altercation, Staton allegedly pushed Shrewsbury down a flight of stairs, then struck him in the head with a piece of wood.
Afterward, Staton reportedly locked Shrewsbury in the basement and left him there.
The revelation of these details has shocked the local community. Terrence Henderson, a neighbor of Shrewsbury, expressed his disbelief over the tragedy that unfolded in what is usually a peaceful neighborhood.
"It's very surprising. It's something I didn't think was going to happen to him," Henderson said. "Usually stuff like this doesn't happen. It's very rare. It's probably kind of the first homicide we've ever had, to be honest. It's very devastating."
While Henderson didn't know Shrewsbury well, he described him as a quiet and kind individual who kept to himself but was always hard at work around his home.
"He was always a hard-working man, he'd always be outside working by himself," Henderson recalled. "Very sad about that because he was a good dude, he had a good heart."
Jeanette Perez Staton has been charged with second-degree murder, and the investigation into Shrewsbury’s death is ongoing.
Staton had her first court appearance on Monday, where a public defender was appointed to represent her.
She is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing in May.
As the investigation continues, the Danville community remains shaken by the tragic loss of a neighbor and the shocking circumstances surrounding his death.