news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Melvin Thompson has spent the past week trying to make sense of something he believes he'll never understand.

He wonders why his son, Melvin Hargraves, won't be around to see the birth of his second child or to reach his goal of becoming a barber.

Those are small questions in the bigger equation of what happened inside a Everitt Street townhouse last week that left his son dead from a gunshot wound.

"It doesn't make any sense to me," Thompson said. "He was a very kind and generous person. He was a very loving person who had a concern for everyone he knew."

Police say Hargraves, 24, was shot at 2101-F Everitt St. just after 8 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Officers responded to the home on a report of an armed subject at the residence and had to force their way inside upon arrival. Inside, they found Hargraves suffering from a gunshot wound.

"It appears there was some kind of dispute with some other subjects, but we don't know who those are," said Sgt.
Debbie Butler of the Greensboro police homicide squad.

Thompson said his son was at the home visiting a friend when the shooting happened, but he said he hasn't gotten any details about what happened from that friend.

"He was murdered, there was no dispute," Thompson said, without elaborating.

On Wednesday afternoon, police from four agencies went door-to-door in four neighborhoods near East Market Street and handed out fliers and asked for information about Hargraves' death, as well as the Nov. 25 death of 61-year-old Marie Byrd.

Byrd was found dead inside her duplex at 1918-A E. Market St. around 9:30 a.m. after police were called for a welfare check.

A cause of death has not been released in the case, though Detective Brian Pilcher confirmed a fire was set inside the home as a coverup.

The deaths were the city's 22nd and 23rd homicides of the year.

Of the city's 25 homicides, 10 have been cleared by arrests, three were officer-involved shootings, and four will be exceptionally cleared - meaning they were likely done in self defense and will not be prosecuted, said Assistant Police Chief Dwight Crotts.

Anyone with information in the homicides is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 373-1000.

Callers may remain anonymous and become eligible for a cash reward.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com