A Colerain man has been charged with murder after another Bertie County man was found dead early Monday morning.

46-year-old Horace Sessoms was charged with killing Willie Bell.

The 36-year-old Bell was found on Farless Road near Merry Hill.

A witness says Bell got into fight with another man outside a residence on Farless Road.

The sheriff's office says there is no apparent gunshot wound or blood at the scene so it's unclear how Bell died. An autopsy Monday afternoon should shed more light on how Bell died.

Bell is a registered sex offender, convicted in 2005 for taking indecent liberties with a minor.

Alcohol and Law Enforcement agents are investigating along with the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office got the call about 3:50 a.m. Monday.

ALE has charged the owner of the home, ALE has charged owner of home, Damian Spruill, with selling alcohol without a license.

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A body found in the middle of a road has opened a homicide investigation in Bertie County.

Bertie County Sheriff Greg Atkins says a man's body was found in the middle of Farless Road near Merry Hill early Monday morning.

The name of the victim has not been released, pending notification of family members.

Sheriff Atkins says the investigation so far has led them to believe the victim was in a fight with someone else. However, there are no visible injuries on the body, which is making an early determination of the cause of death difficult.

A passerby found the victim around 4 a.m. Monday, Sheriff Atkins told WITN.

The investigation has led to the development of a suspect, but no arrests have been made yet.