Suspect indicted in 2009 cold case murder

Sept. 15--NEW HANOVER COUNTY -- The former roommate of a man found murdered in 2009 along River Road has been indicted in his murder, New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David said Monday.

Larry Karl Gonzales, 52, has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder by a county grand jury in the Jan. 29, 2009, shooting death of Alton Corey Vann, David said. Gonzales was arrested in Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed McMahon said.

A passing driver spotted Vann's body about 12:30 a.m. along River Road between Sanders Drive and Independence Boulevard. He'd been shot in the head and his hands were in his pockets.

Not far from Vann's body, deputies found a blue sleeve, called a reducer, which enables a flare gun to fire shotgun pellets. The sleeve still had a shell casing lodged inside, according to an affidavit in support of a search warrant for the Brookview home Vann shared with Gonzales.

Vann's cell phone was found 1.9 miles from his body and included a text message, sent from Vann to Gonzales late on the night of Jan. 28 saying his car had broken down. The roommate called and said he would pick Vann up, according to the search warrant. When questioned by investigators, the roommate said when he went to pick Vann up, Vann wasn't at the car dealership on Carolina Beach Road where the two planned to meet, according to the warrant.

Detectives located Vann's Jeep at the home the two men shared. The warrant also states Gonzales was the beneficiary of a $20,000 life insurance policy Vann had taken out weeks before his murder.

Gonzales told police he owned a flare gun and that it had been stolen from his home days earlier. He had not reported the theft.

F.T. Norton: 910-343-2070

On Twitter: @FTNorton

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