Suspect sought in woman's death at hotel
From Staff Reports
Friday, January 15, 2010

Police are searching for a Wendell man accused in the murder of a Rocky Mount woman found dead in a hotel room Wednesday.

A housekeeper found the body of 38-year-old Melissa Jo Wise while cleaning a room inside the Executive Inn on North Wesleyan Boulevard. The medical examiner declared the death a homicide Thursday, and police named 41-year-old Ronald Carlton Ricks Jr. as a suspect in the murder.

Wise had been reported missing Tuesday from her place of employment in Franklin County.

Police are searching for the woman’s 2002 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Investigators said they believe Ricks might be driving the vehicle.

A warrant was obtained for Ricks arrest on a first-degree murder charge. Ricks is known to frequent Wake County and Greensboro, police said.

Ricks served four years in prison in the early 1990s on assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and robbery charges, according to N.C. Department of Correction records.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Rocky Mount police at 252-972-1411.

Comments

move from home page

Submitted by bubba1 on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 21:26.
come on telegram web staff.you have another article since this one about the person being arrested. the suspect being sought has been captured. get this article off of the home page and do your job.

To DWR1964

Submitted by Happy Camper on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 13:24.
Why are you so angry? You call people names while you type on the computer but you don't have what it takes to call a stranger an idiot to their face. With your initials being DWR and you being born in 1964, be careful how you treat people. You would be easy to identify if someone wanted to know who you are.

No Need

Submitted by The_Truth on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 06:29.
I know feelings are running high on this story, but the name calling was really uncalled for. There could have been hundreds of things to say(without name calling)besides calling someone an idiot.

Our anger should be addressed at our leaders who would rather spend money on building a new school than spending it on our police department who I may say is doing an EXCELLENT JOB! Did you see how fast they got his name, and it won't be long before we read they got him.

We need the new school, what

Submitted by So on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 14:05.
We need the new school, what we do not need is Duoglas Block and the rest of that wasteful project.

Agree

Submitted by SGTJ on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 15:21.
I totally agree, we also need no more statues...

AGREE TO AGREE

Submitted by Rocky Mount Living on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 22:07.
PRETTY SOON ALL THOSE STATUES WILL END UP LIKE THE SO CALLED "ART" THAT USE TO SIT BY THE RMPD. THATS ALL SITTING INSIDE THE GATE AT THE ROCK QUARRY. NO TELLING HOW MUCH OF OUR TAX'S PAID FOR THAT CRAP..WE DO NEED THE SCHOOL THOUGH...

Info!

Submitted by Med4U on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 01:04.
Considering the high crime rate within Rocky Mount I would like to know if this was another shooting incident since there has already been several since the new year, as far as prey, I'm not preying on anyone, yes I feel Sympathy for the family! Who wouldn't, losing a loved one is not wished anyone, but as a Rocky Mount citizen I would like to stay on top of the murder information. So how about you crawl back in your hole now.

Who Cares you IDIOT

Submitted by dwr1964 on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 23:16.
What does it matter how this woman died? The fact is she is deceased, and the police are looking for someone in relation t her death. Your morbid nature is not a concern in this investigation, nor is it the most important thing on the minds of the family and friends of Ms. Wise. Crawl back into your hole and wait for some other prey to pounce upon.

murder

Submitted by Med4U on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 19:06.
How did she die?? Shooting?? Strangled??

more information

Submitted by bubba1 on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 00:20.
i agree with you Med4U. the police and or telegram needs release more details about this case.

WHY?

Submitted by Walter Mellon on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 17:57.
Why should have need to know more details?