A man accused of killing a woman on Bunt Drive was previously the victim’s neighbor, court documents show.
Eric Underwood-McCarrol, 25, was arrested during a traffic stop one day after Joyce Moore, 60, of Fort Wayne, was shot and killed in her home.
The cause of death was a gunshot wound of the head, and the manner of death has been ruled a homicide, Deputy Coroner Rebecca Mayes said Monday in a news release.
Police believe Moore opened her front door for Underwood-McCarrol and was shot, a news release said. Police suspect Underwood-McCarrol then ran from the scene.
While investigating the shooting, officers spoke to someone who said they believed the suspect could be “Eric Hopkins,” who had previously lived in the apartment complex.
The person also identified him as driving a tan or gold Crown Victoria, a vehicle police described as identical to the Mercury Grand Marquis that Underwood-McCarrol was driving before his arrest.
Police looked at a list of people who had recently moved out of the complex, and it showed that Underwood-McCarrol was evicted in January for not paying his rent. They later found a phone number for Underwood-McCarrol and traced the phone, which showed he was in the area of the shooting while it happened.
Court documents show police also used surveillance footage and a witness to connect Underwood-McCarrol to the shooting. The witness would not specifically identify anyone from a photo lineup out of fear of retaliation, but police say the person had an immediate physical response to Underwood-McCarrol’s photo.
After he was arrested, police executed a warrant to search Underwood-McCarrol’s home and car. The searches led to the discovery of a 9 mm Taurus handgun with ZSR 9 mm Luger ammunition, the same type of bullet that is believed to have killed Moore. They also found an N-95 mask and pair of white and black Adidas shoes consistent with surveillance footage that police say shows Underwood-McCarrol in the area of the shooting.
Underwood-McCarrol’s mother texted him after the shooting, saying a woman that lived across the street from his previous Bunt Drive residence was killed. Underwood-McCarrol replied with an expletive.
Underwood-McCarrol will appear in court today. He is being held without bond at the Allen County Jail.
