The man murdered Sunday morning on Mobley Street died of blunt force trauma to the upper torso.

Lieutenant Bobby Martin of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said Michael Wayne Davis was struck multiple times. He declined to elaborate on a motive.

The man the sheriff’s office is seeking in Davis’s murder, Richard Charles Demello, lived with Davis, 47, for more than a month and a half. They met each other when they were in prison.

Demello, 54, has ties to Harnett County, Rhode Island and Missouri. He stole the victim’s car, a blue 1998 Dodge Neon possibly with a spoiler, and could possibly be headed north, south or west.

The license plate is YWZ-2442.

Demello is short with a thin build and has tattoos.

Anyone with information on Demello’s location is encouraged to contact the Halifax County Sheriff's Office at 252-583-8201 or Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.