A 55-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with Asheville’s first confirmed homicide of 2024, a beating death discovered early Friday morning (March 8) in the Compass Point Village area.
The incident was reported around 3:23 a.m., when officers were dispatched to the area and found a man already deceased, Asheville Police said in a release. Following notification of next of kin, police identified the victim as Robert Earl Griggs, 72.
According to police, a suspect, Garland William Kuykendall Jr., 55, was located in the nearby area and taken into custody without incident. Kuykendall was charged with first degree murder and was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Center. He was being held on a no bond warrant, making him ineligible to be released on bond.
Police said it was the first confirmed homicide in Asheville for 2024.
As the investigation continued, police asked anyone with information about the case to call (828) 252-1110, or share information anonymously by texting TIP2APD to Police847411, or using the TIP2APD smartphone app.