NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – A man in North Carolina faces charges of first-degree murder, as well as hiding and failing to report a death. The accused, Elvin Noel Baca, 34, was arrested after his 69-year-old roommate, Lawrence Grabka, had been reported missing. Grabaka’s body was discovered buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of their shared residence.
Baca made his first court appearance in New Hanover County on Thursday. The murder victim, Grabka, was reported missing by a friend who noted that he was unresponsive to calls and found the door of his residence unlocked when she visited. Grabka’s phone and wallet were located in the home, but he could not be discovered anywhere.
Detectives from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, following an investigation, concluded that Grabka was killed and subsequently buried in a shallow grave in his backyard.
A friend and former roommate of Grabka’s, Katherine Roush, described him as the “sweetest man in the world.” Roush also recounted warning Grabka about Baca, expressing her suspicion about him and advising Grabka to find another tenant.
The last time Roush encountered Baca, she believes that he had already committed the murder and she is now working to replace that memory with that of her deceased friend.
Baca, currently held without bond, has been assigned to the capital defender’s office, and his next court date is on April 18. Sheriff Edward McMahon expressed sympathy for the victim’s loved ones and reassured that the priority is to seek justice for the victim.