Powhatan man, 21, charged with deaths of two in Cumberland

A Powhatan County man has been charged with capital murder in the deaths of a man and a woman found slain Saturday evening in the yard of a Cartersville-area home.

Tyrone Tyree Roads, 21, was arrested without incident in Richmond in the slayings of Ricky Thurston and Barry Shaver, a woman, both of Cumberland, Sheriff Darrell Hodges announced yesterday.

The two were found dead Saturday evening in the Lakeside Village area of Cumberland. Hodges said both suffered injuries consistent with knife wounds, but the state medical examiner's office has not released a cause of death.

Authorities did not release a motive, but Hodges said he believes the victims knew their attacker.

Roads, who turns 22 tomorrow, was being held without bond, said Cumberland Commonwealth's Attorney Pat Scales.

Three months ago, Roads pleaded guilty in Powhatan to felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of marijuana for drug offenses that occurred in April 2008, according to court records.

But a judge deferred final disposition of his cases until April 13, 2010, which means the charges could be dismissed.

A provision of state law allows the court to dismiss charges against a defendant who has no major criminal record, if the defendant stays out of trouble.

One of the victims, Ricky Thurston, had drug convictions in Cumberland, court records show. He was convicted of possession of marijuana in 1999 and 2008 and possession of drug paraphernalia in 1999.

Cumberland authorities said they worked with Virginia State Police, the Richmond Police Department and the Powhatan Sheriff's Office on the case and credited the community for its assistance in providing information.

The capital-murder charge was lodged because Roads is accused of killing more than one person, Scales said.

Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or .