Keyon West has been identified as the person who was located in a car that had to be retrieved from the Roanoke River last week.

Roanoke Rapids police Chief Bobby Martin said Sergeant Morgan Worrell received notification that West, a former defendant in the Glenview quadruple murders of 2017 until a witness recanted his statement, died of a gunshot wound.

Martin said it is difficult to immediately say if the fatal shooting occurred on the same day police received information a car was in the river at the Weldon boat landing — last Tuesday. The vehicle was pulled from the river last Wednesday.

Asked whether West, 28, had been shot multiple times, Martin said, “At this point in time we’re not going to make any further comment on the gunshot to keep the integrity of the case intact.”

While police confirmed last week the vehicle West was found in was not his, Martin said he would not reveal the owner of the car. “Any evidence we discover is crucial in regards to what happened in this homicide.”

West had been reported missing on December 5.

He is the second person once considered a suspect in the Glenview 2017 shooting deaths to have died.

In February, Matthew Simms, 29, died of what police believe was a drug overdose.

The dismissals for West, Simms, and Dontavious Cotton were based on the recantation of a previous statement made by defendant James Powell concerning the August 2017 murders of James and Janice Harris and James and Peggy Whitley. The four were shot and killed as they played a friendly game of cards at the Harris residence in the Glenview community of the Enfield area.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police department at 252-533-2810 or Crimestopper at 252-583-4444.