A Pinebluff man is in custody in connection with a triple homicide investigation after three people were found dead Wednesday morning at a Pinebluff home.
“During the course of the investigation, Demetrius Louis Aggelis, 40, of Pinebluff, was identified as a suspect,” said Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields in a press release.Â
Fields identified the victims as Bobby Farris, 63, Christina Aggelis, 62, and Trinity Thomas, 20. Christina Aggelis was the mother of Demetrius Louis Aggelis. Thomas was Demetrius’ niece and the granddaughter of Christina Aggelis.
“Shortly before 8 a.m. Aggelis reported that he had gone to the residence at 115 Ryder Cup Boulevard to pick up his stepfather, Bobby Farris, and take him to an airport for a scheduled flight,” said Fields. “Aggelis stated that when he arrived, he found all three victims unresponsive. Moore County Sheriff’s deputies, fire personnel and emergency medical services responded and determined that all three were deceased from apparent homicide.
“Investigators immediately began gathering evidence and working to establish a timeline of events. Privately owned surveillance video recovered during the initial investigation appeared to show an armed individual entering the victims’ residence shortly after 3:30 a.m. Additional privately owned surveillance video helped investigators establish that Aggelis had been operating a particular vehicle prior to the homicides being reported.”
Fields said during the initial investigation, Aggelis told investigators that he had been at his own residence, several miles away, during the time the armed individual was observed entering the victims’ home. Investigators then reviewed data from the Flock Safety camera network to further establish the movements of the vehicle they had linked to Aggelis.
A Flock camera located less than a mile from the crime scene had captured the vehicle traveling toward the area of the victims’ residence minutes before the armed individual was observed entering the home. The vehicle was captured traveling away from the area minutes later, contradicting Aggelis’ initial account of his whereabouts, according to Fields.Â
Flock camera data has also provided other leads in the investigation that investigators are continuing to pursue. Investigators have recovered weapons and other evidence believed to have been used in the commission of the crimes, which are being submitted for further examination and analysis.
Investigators are continuing to examine evidence and circumstances surrounding the homicides before reaching a conclusion regarding motive.
Based on observations at the scene, it appeared that each of the three victims likely sustained gunshot and stab-type wounds. The official cause and manner of death will be established by the medical examiner.
Aggelis has been charged with three counts of murder and one count of first-degree burglary and has admitted responsibility for the deaths of the three victims.
This remains an active investigation. Anyone who may have information related to this case is asked to contact the Moore County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 910-947-2931. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the Moore County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 910-947-4444.
Feature photo: Demetrius Louis Aggelis is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
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Information from a Moore County Sheriff’s Department press release.
