Black Boyfriend Arrested for Murder of White Mother of Two

News-Record
November 26, 2014

Shelly Gravely's remains were found just north of the state line.
Shelly Gravely’s remains were found just north of the state line.

Authorities have arrested a man here in connection with the disappearance of a 34-year-old mother of two, according to the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office.

Anthony Octavius “Skeet” Joyce, 35, was arrested Friday night in Greensboro and is being held in the Guilford County jail as a fugitive from justice, according to the news release from the sheriff’s office.

Patrick County authorities obtained warrants for Joyce for abduction and robbery charges. Smith stated in the release that a murder charge is forthcoming.

Henry and Patrick county deputies found the body of Shelly Vessel Gravely, a 34-year-old mother of two, in Henry County, Va., early this morning, Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said on the agency’s Facebook page.

Gravely was last heard from shortly after 10 p.m. on Nov. 14th. Friends and family called authorities and asked them to check on her when she did not contact them on Saturday, which they said was unusual. Authorities did not find Gravely at her home in Stuart, Va., began investigating her disappearance and issued a missing person alert.

Anthony "Skeet" Joyce has been arrested in connection with the killing.
Anthony “Skeet” Joyce has been arrested in connection with the killing.

Gravely and Joyce had been involved in a relationship for approximately five years, according to the sheriff’s office Facebook posting.

Multiple agencies have been working to find Gravely since she was discovered missing from her home on Nov. 15.

Investigators spent most of Friday evening interviewing Joyce in Greensboro.

“We will be working with North Carolina authorities to extradite Joyce back to Virginia as soon as possible,” Smith said.

Authorities checked more than 400 miles of road sides in four counties since Gravely disappeared, with the search concentrating in eastern Patrick County, Smith said.