Missing Henrico man found dead in Suffolk, 2 charged with his murder
VENN
UPDATE: This article has been updated with information provided by the Suffolk Police Department.
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A missing 48-year-old Henrico County man was found dead in Suffolk, with two men now facing murder charges more than seven months after the initial disappearance.
On Thursday, May 8, the Henrico County Police Division issued a missing adult alert for 48-year-old Gerard Anthony Harvell of Henrico. Police said he'd been last heard from at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29.
More than seven months later, on Tuesday, Dec. 2, Henrico Police announced that Harvell had been found dead in Suffolk.
48-year-old Gerard Anthony Harvell. (Photo: Henrico County Police Division)
According to the Suffolk Police Department, Harvell disappeared after he travelled to Suffolk in April. In May, Henrico Police requested that Suffolk authorities aid in the investigation into his death.
"Over the next few months, and after painstaking investigation that involved data analysis, multiple search warrants, substantial evidence recovery, hours of interviews and intense forensics examinations, the Suffolk Police Department concluded that Mr. Harvell was killed on or about April 29, 2025, in the 6900 block [of] Brentwood Road in Suffolk," Suffolk Police said in a Tuesday press release.
Police: Man dies on Thanksgiving after Henrico driver ran him over, didn’t stop
On Tuesday, two men were charged with Harvell's first-degree murder, in addition to other related charges: 41-year-old Levar Antonio Bradsaw, Jr. of Franklin and 47-year-old William Andre Lawrence of Suffolk.
Both suspects are currently in custody.
“I could not be more proud of the work our investigators did for this victim and his family,” said Suffolk Chief of Police, James "Danny" Buie, in the release. “This was a complex investigation, and these indictments are a testament to the skill and dedication of the members of the detectives, forensic technicians and supervisors who were involved in this case.”
The investigation into Harvell's death reportedly involved several agencies spanning multiple jurisdictions.
This included the Henrico Police Department, as well as Virginia State Police, the Commonwealth of Virginia's Rescue Program, the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Franklin Police Department, the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia State Medical Examiner’s Office – Norfolk, the Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina and DNA Labs International in Florida.
Salvation Army partners with Richmond to expand homeless shelter facility through $15M investment
"We would also like to thank Mr. Harvell’s family for their cooperation and their patience during this investigation," Suffolk Police said in the release. "We share in their sorrow for the loss of Gerard. We look forward to assisting with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as they carry this case forward for prosecution."
