Second arrest in murder; third suspect sought in death of dentist

By Sarah Nagem

snagem@salisburypost.com

Salisbury Police arrested a Kannapolis man late Saturday night for the murder of a dentist earlier this week.

Police arrested Jonathan Alexander Barnett, 18, of 6276 Old Concord Road, Kannapolis, around 11:50 p.m. Saturday, Detective J.D. Barber said.

Barnett is charged with murder after Dr. David Boyd, a Salisbury dentist, was found bound and strangled in his home near the Salisbury Country Club on Thursday morning.

Late Thursday night, police charged Candice Jo Drye, 23, of Mocksville, with the murder.

Barber said early this morning that he could not say what led to Barnett's arrest. He also said he could not divulge Barnett's connection to Drye or Dr. Boyd.

But Barber said police expect to make at least one more arrest in the case.

Salisbury Police Chief Mark Wilhelm said early this morning that he did not have details about the investigation's progress. "They developed some more information (Saturday) afternoon," Wilhelm said of his detectives.

On Saturday, a Rowan County magistrate issued arrest warrants for two men in connection with the murder. The magistrate said Barnett is a friend of the family of Stephen Boyd, Drye's boyfriend.

Stephen Boyd said Friday that Drye had been at Dr. Boyd's home Wednesday night. Dr. Boyd's wife and three children were at the beach.

Stephen Boyd said his mother picked Drye up from Dr. Boyd's neighborhood late Wednesday night.

Dr. Boyd called Drye's family's house in Mocksville on Wednesday, said Drye's stepfather, Jerry Cruse.

Cruse said Dr. Boyd informed the family that Drye was drunk and that someone needed to pick her up.

The family called the boyfriend's mother, who found Drye walking near the dentist's home, Stephen Boyd said.

Drye, who has three children, remains in the Rowan County Detention Center without bond.