Caesar, the 18-year-old United States Marine charged in his grandmother’s murder and the murder of a Hollister man on April 11, has refused extradition to face a desertion charge.

Caesar had been absent without leave from his post at Fort Benning, Georgia, since April 2, Tripp said.

He still has a May 16 court date in Halifax County, where an Indigent Defense Attorney is expected to be named in the case. He has already been appointed a local attorney. That attorney, Sammy Webb, could end up being Caesar’s IDS attorney, Webb confirmed following district court proceedings earlier this week.

Evans had been reported missing and the last time she was seen or heard from was on April 24. Further investigation led detectives to look for her grandson.

Sally Copeland Evans was taking her grandson to Camp Lejeune where she wanted him to surrender to provost marshal officers for being a deserter. “A possible motive appears to be that Caesar wanted to prevent his grandmother from taking him to Jacksonville,” the sheriff said today. Jacksonville would be the closest Marine Corps base in North Carolina.

Caesar was stationed at Fort Benning. While an Army base, Caesar was in tech school there, the sheriff confirmed.

During the investigation detectives learned the grandmother’s body had been left near a creek close to her residence. Tripp declined elaboration on Evans' death other than to say she was shot.

Caesar was discovered at a Rocky Mount hotel room where evidence was collected which not only allegedly tied him to his grandmother’s murder but the murder of Roderick Bluesky Mills, the sheriff’s office has said.