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Man accused of hiding body on mountainside was wearing ankle monitor, police say

ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — A man accused of murdering an elderly man and then hiding his body on a mountainside appeared before a judge Monday morning.

Investigators in Alexander County arrested and charged Randy Darryl Shumake, 51, Friday with the murder of Jerry Vinson Hayes, 77.

Investigators said Shumake was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the murder, placing him at the crime scene.

Officials said Hayes’ body was found by a concerned friend Thursday in the woods off of Robinette Road in the Little River Community.

The medical examiner determined Hayes’ body had been there for about three days.

An autopsy found that Hayes died of blunt force trauma to the head and a gunshot wound to the chest.

Officials said they believe Shumake killed Hayes at his home and then returned two days later to hide the body and conceal the crime in other ways.

"He actually took time and replaced a padlock hinge on one of the victim's doors,” Alexander County Sheriff Chris Bowman said.

Investigators said they were able to determine Shumake's movement around the time of the murder from a tracking device he was required to wear after serving a lengthy sentence for a second-degree rape conviction.

Shumake said nothing when Channel 9 asked him about about the GPS tracking device Monday.

His mother said Hayes had recently lent her son $500 to buy a car and had told Shumake he wanted his money back.

"It was a shock to me. I could not believe it when they said he was the one who done it. He's my son. I love him to death and he's so good to me,” Shumake’s mother, Ann Anderson, said.

Deputies said Shumake has been cooperating with them after his arrest. They confirmed money is believed to be the motive behind the murder.

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