Slain woman's boyfriend held in Fla., Hanover officials say

1:15 p.m.

The Hanover County Sheriff's Office this morning identified the woman slain in Beaverdam as Sarajane M. Hakopian of the 17600 block of Beaverdam Road.

While investigators headed to Jacksonville, Fla., to interview Brian S. Mallory, held on a charge of stealing Hakopian's van, "preliminary investigation into this incident indicates that Mallory was Hakopian’s boyfriend," the sheriff's department said in a news release this morning.

The cause of Hakopian's death remains under investigation, the sheriff's department said.

Mallory, who was arrested about 1 a.m., was being held without bond at the Duval County Pretrial Detention Facility. Hanover officials said Hakopian's vehicle was stolen from her home.

Virginia Department of Corrections records show Mallory, 42, of the 15100 block of Dunn Road has a history of felonies in Hanover County dating to February 1991, when he was sentenced to prison for robbery, kidnapping and firearms convictions. His most recent conviction came in January 2006, when he was given seven years in prison for robbery, abduction and probation violation; he was released in October 2009 and ordered to supervised probation in Ashland.

"Investigators continue to work with the families affected by this tragedy, as well as evaluate all evidence gathered in this case in an effort to bring it to a final resolution," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

With Hakopian's slaying, Hanover so far this year has recorded four homicides, which equals the highest total for the county since at least 1999. The last time Hanover recorded four killings was in 2005, according to Virginia State Police records. The county had three homicides in 2006, 2004 and in 2002, and two last year.

Hakopian was the president of the Lady's Auxilliary for the American Legion Post 90-Beaverdam, whose chapter house is across the street from her residence. Her affiliation with the American Legion, along with her name, was posted on the club's website late Monday sometime after her death. But the posting was later removed, apparently after Hanover investigators -- who were still in the process of notifying relatives of her death -- learned of it through the news media.

"The American Legion has lost one of its own, Sarah Jane Hakopian, (who) was murdered in her home in Beaverdam, Va.," the posting stated. "Sarah was the president of the Lady's Auxillary for the American Legion Post 90-Beaverdam. She will be greatly missed by all of us. We ask that everyone pray that her two children, P.J. & Molly that they will find some kind of peace in this horrible loss. We Love You Sarah!"

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. Earlier updates are posted below.)

5:17 a.m.

A van being sought in connection with the slaying of a Beaverdam woman has been found in Jacksonville, Fla., and a Hanover man has been arrested there and charged with auto theft, according to the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.

“Hanover investigators are currently en route to Florida in an effort to further their investigation into last night's homicide in Beaverdam,” Sgt. Chris Whitley said in a news release early today.

Brian Mallory, 42, of the 15100 block of Dunn Road was described as the occupant of the vehicle and Whitley said he has arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and charged with grand larceny of an automobile. 

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. The story from this morning's Richmond Times-Dispatch is posted below.)

BY MARK BOWES

Hanover County authorities are investigating the slaying of a woman whose body was found inside her home Monday evening in the 17600 block of Beaverdam Road.

The Hanover Sheriff's Office responded to the residence about 5:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a suspicious death there. When they arrived, deputies discovered a woman dead of "apparent trauma."

Authorities did not disclose her suspected cause of death, which will be determined during an autopsy by the state medical examiner's office.

The victim's name was being withheld pending notification of her relatives.

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Chris Whitley said Monday night that investigators were collecting and evaluating evidence and conducting interviews. He said there were no suspects in custody as of 10 p.m.

About 11 p.m., the Sheriff's Office said it was seeking the public's help in locating the victim's vehicle, which authorities said was connected to her death. The vehicle is a 2005 Kia Sedona van, green with tan trim, with license plate number XFF-4566. The van had four stickers, ones with rainbow, horse, co-exist and equality motifs, authorities said.

Whitley declined to say whether the victim was the sole occupant of the home. It would be the fourth fatal incident in Hanover since December and the sixth death.

Anyone with information about the death can call the Hanover Sheriff's Office at (804) 365-6140 or Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.