Autopsy confirms slain Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd shot ‘multiple times’
An autopsy reports that slain Wake County sheriff’s Deputy Ned Byrd was shot four times when he was killed on duty in August.
The autopsy was released Friday night by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. It confirms that Byrd died from “multiple gunshot wounds,” as search warrants previously indicated.
The autopsy shows he was shot two times in the head, once in the neck and head and once in the torso.
The 48-year-old K-9 officer was on duty the night of Aug. 11, when he stopped to check a suspicious vehicle on the side of Battle Bridge Road in eastern Wake County.
Authorities found him a few hours later, fatally shot outside of his patrol car near the intersection of Battle Bridge and Auburn-Knightdale roads.
He was wearing his ballistic vest, the autopsy reported.
After an intense manhunt, Alder Marin-Sotelo, 25, and Arturo Marin-Sotelo, 29, were taken into custody later that week and were charged with Byrd’s murder. If convicted, the two brothers could face life in prison or the death penalty, The News & Observer reported.
Arturo Marin-Sotelo’s attorney has said his client is innocent of murder and “did not participate” in the shooting that killed the veteran law enforcement officer. He told detectives he was hunting in a field nearby when he heard the shots and called his brother.
This story was originally published December 9, 2022 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Autopsy confirms slain Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd shot ‘multiple times’."