By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A Greensboro man who was shot and killed in Salisbury on May 27 appeared to have intervened during an argument between his sister and the man charged with his murder, according to search warrants.

Timothy Lee Grady, 34, was shot at least once at a North Ellis Street apartment. The Salisbury Police Department charged Frankie Eugene Cox Jr., 31, of 503 N. Ellis St., with murder.

According to a search warrant, Cox was dating Grady’s sister, Crystal Grady. Timothy Grady went to the Ellis Street apartment, and his sister told him about “relationship issues” with Cox.

Police spoke to Tomika Teague, who went to the apartment with Grady. She told detectives that Crystal Grady spoke with her brother outside the apartment. Crystal became upset and went back inside the apartment, Teague said.

Timothy Grady yelled for Cox to come speak with him, which he did, the warrant said. Crystal Grady followed Cox and, after talking, became upset and went back inside the apartment. Cox followed her inside.

Timothy Grady and Teague were about to leave when Teague suggested that he apologize to his sister for taking Cox’s side in the argument. Timothy Grady went upstairs to the apartment, and Teague stayed at the bottom of the stairs, she told detectives.

Teague said the door was open and Timothy walked inside. A few seconds later, she heard multiple gunshots. The warrant said Teague saw Timothy leave the apartment, crawl to the steps and roll down to a landing, where police officers found him.

Cox was in the apartment the whole time, according to Teague’s account.

The warrant does not detail the conversations.

It says evidence collected by investigators at the scene include about seven shell casings from a .40 caliber gun. The casings were found near the front door, a front window, in front of a television and under an overturned flower.

Detectives also found other an empty gun box in a front bedroom closet, an empty shotgun box, an ammunition box, a loaded AK magazine in a black book bag, an empty Glock magazine, an empty Royal Buck box, steel magazines, and a Federal .40 caliber box. What is believed to be 15.7 grams of marijuana was found on a bag under a TV in a bedroom, as well as 33.5 grams of what appeared to be marijuana in a bag hanging on a closet door. Police found digital scales in the home, a marijuana pipe, and electronics, including tablets and an iPad.

Just days after the shooting, on May 31, police received information that Cox was at an East Lafayette Street apartment. Police reached out to Cox using a bullhorn and told him that officers had surrounded the apartment. About 30 minutes later, Cox walked out.

In another search warrant, police say they had technical assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation and were able to analyze call records and use a GPS locator on a mobile phone belonging to Cox to determine that he was inside an apartment on East Lafayette Street.

He was seen leaving Apartment 905 on East Lafayette Street. According to the warrant, Cox talked with police detectives after being arrested and told them the “gun which was used in the murder was inside the apartment where he exited.”

Police found a Glock inside the apartment, 2.1 grams of what is believed to be marijuana, a handgun magazine, and Hornady and Perfecto brand ammunition.

Cox is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center without bond.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.