Man charged in Wake County deputy murder appears before judge

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Authorities say they expect to make more arrests in the death of a Wake County deputy.

So far, Arturo Marin-Sotelo has been charged with the murder of Deputy Ned Byrd, according to the man’s arrest warrant.

Marin-Sotelo and Alder Alfonso Marin were taken into custody Tuesday in Burke County, west of Wake County, for questioning in the killing of Byrd.

Wednesday night, multiple sources told WRAL News that a truck connected to the killing of a Wake County deputy was located and picked up in Winston-Salem.

The truck, which was reported to be white by police, was said to have been painted red before being picked up and taken back to Wake County.

The truck was seen by a WRAL crew going into the Wake County Detention Center Wednesday night before it was taken elsewhere.

The 29-year-old suspect made his first court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Wake County Courthouse.

A judge appointed a capital defender for Marin-Sotelo, ordered him held without bond, and set September 8th as his next court date.

During a noon news conference, Sheriff Gerald Baker said the arrest came after around-the-clock work.

“We are not going to stop until we bring these individuals to justice,” said Baker. “We ask for your patience. We don’t want to jeopardize our investigation.”

The sheriff confirmed that they have recovered the truck and said future arrests are expected.

The 48-year-old deputy was found dead around 1:00 a.m. last Friday in the southeastern part of Wake County. Officials believe the deputy had been shot several hours earlier.

Visitation for Byrd’s family will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Mitchell Funeral Home in Raleigh. His funeral service is set for Friday.

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