No Arrest Yet in Blanch Murder

The Caswell County Sheriff's Office is investigating the murder of a twenty-one-year-old found shot to death in the front yard of his Blanch home on March 22, 2026. 

Family members say the victim, Maurice Willie Thomas, Jr., led a quiet life that did not involve drugs or gangs, leaving them struggling to understand why anyone would want to kill him. 

“He had such a genuine spirit and energy about him, people were drawn to him,” said his older brother, Devin Pointer. “He was the person that went out on the limb for others because he wanted people to be taken care of.” 

Pointer described Maurice, who family and friends often called “Reice,” as “settled” and “calm,” saying that his routine consisted simply of work, home, family, and dating. 

“Somebody out there knows what happened to my brother and we want them to come forward,” Pointer stated.

According to details contained in a March 22 affidavit for a search warrant, deputies with the Caswell County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a home on Ed Rowland Road in reference to a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” after someone called 911 at 7:01pm. They arrived on scene to find the victim deceased with “an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head.” 

In the warrant, investigators describe the scene, noting details that indicated the victim had been dead for a “period of time.” The body of the deceased was transferred to the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy to confirm the cause and time of death. A weapon and shell casings were found at the scene. 

Pointer said his family does not believe this was a random act of violence given the home’s remote location on a dead-end road and that they are haunted by not knowing what happened to their loved one. 

He said they are also frustrated that it has been nearly three weeks since his brother’s death and there are still so many unanswered questions, and no arrests have been made. 

“We’re not going to stop until we find who did this to him,” Pointer said, explaining why the family had turned to social media to shine light on the investigation. He said the family hopes that all the attention will prompt someone to come forward with what they know.

Officials with the Caswell County Sheriff’s Office say there are multiple investigators actively pursuing all leads but declined to offer further comment to avoid jeopardizing the integrity of the case. 

They ask that anyone with information related to the case contact the Caswell County Sheriff’s Office at 336-694-9311, or the Caswell County CrimeStoppers line at 336-694-5199. 

“Somebody knows what happened and knows who did this,” Pointer said, vowing that he and his family would not stop searching for answers until the person who murdered his brother is brought to justice.

Maurice “Reice” Turner, Jr. was a 2023 graduate of Bartlett Yancey High School where he played both football and basketball. He briefly attended Averett University on a football scholarship. He was employed by the City of Burlington at the time of his death.