A man from North Carolina is currently in custody without bail after being accused by the police of killing his roommate and burying him in a backyard.
Elvin Noel Baca, aged 34, was brought before the court on Thursday morning to face charges of first-degree murder and concealing/failing to report a death. The authorities arrested him in connection with the death of Lawrence Grabka, a 69-year-old individual, on Wednesday.
Lawrence Grabka reported missing by a friend
According to a report from WECT, Grabka was reported missing by a friend who became concerned when he did not answer his phone on Tuesday.
The friend called 911 and mentioned that Grabka’s door was unlocked when she arrived at his home. Inside, she found his phone and wallet but could not locate him. She also mentioned to reporters that she was the one who usually drove Grabka to his destinations, adding to the mystery of his disappearance.
Friend of Grabka told him to get rid of suspect
Katherine Roush informed reporters that she was close friends with Grabka and considered him her best friend. She mentioned that they were roommates before Baca joined them.
“He was the sweetest man in the world. He did not deserve this,” she said.
Roush had a gut feeling that something was off about Baca. She advised Grabka to remove him, but Grabka was too kind-hearted to simply kick him out onto the street.
“That’s why I told Larry for a long time, ‘He’s not right, Larry, and you don’t know what he’s capable of, so please, let’s get somebody else to rent the room,” Roush said.
‘That night’
Roush said she believed that the last time she saw Baca, her friend was already dead. She said Grabka was not answering the phone, and when she stopped by to check on him, the suspect was sitting in his car.
“I saw [Baca] that night, the night he probably did it. Larry wasn’t answering his phone. So, I stopped in and Larry wasn’t home. [Baca] was sitting in his car. He said he hadn’t seen him, and he smiled at me and told me he loved me. Yeah, I can’t get that image out of my head,” Roush continued.
In court, it was decided that Baca would be held without bond. He was appointed to the capital defender’s office.
His next court date is April 18.
