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Law enforcement officials investigate a shooting death that occurred at the Second Time Around Thrift Shop early Thursday morning on Warrenton Road, near the new Walmart.
DAVE ELLIS/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

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STORE OWNER IS SLAIN

Stafford man found dead in his store; apparent homicide victim.

UPDATE: A preliminary autopsy report shows that the victim, James LeRose, was shot and died as a result of his wounds.

Police said money was missing from the store and they believe LeRose was the victim of a robbery that occurred sometime between the hours of 5:45 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

Date published: 10/16/2009

BY KEITH EPPS and JONAS BEALS

A Stafford man was found dead in his store yesterday, the apparent victim of a homicide.

James LeRose, 66, was discovered in the Second Time Around thrift store at 1183 Warrenton Road at 8:13 a.m., Sheriff's spokesman Bill Kennedy said.

Kennedy said LeRose suffered severe trauma to his upper body, but said the cause of death had not been determined as of last night. But a family member said LeRose had been shot. The body has been sent to the medical examiner's office in Richmond.

The thrift shop is immediately east of the new Walmart on U.S. 17. Police are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious in that area between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. to call the Sheriff's Office.

The motive for the slaying remained unclear last night. Kennedy said he did not know if anything was missing from the store.

According to police and others, LeRose went to the store about 6 a.m., which is customary for him.

His daughter, Kristina Delano, said her sister calls their father shortly after 7 a.m. every day.

When she got no answer yesterday, she called her mother. The mother, who had been married to LeRose for 48 years, went to the store and found her husband dead.

"My father was a wonderful man," Delano said. "He would do anything for anybody."

Mike Carter, who rents a house next to the shop from LeRose, said that he did not hear a gunshot and became aware of the situation only when he saw the police on the scene.

"I don't understand it," Carter said. "He was a good man."

Carter said that LeRose's car was the only one parked in front of the store when the police arrived.

LeRose, a longtime resident of the Hartwood area, used to own the nearby M&P Market. He opened the thrift store six or seven years ago, his daughter said.

Sheriff Charles Jett vowed that his office will work nonstop to identify LeRose's killer.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. LeRose," Jett said. "Every available resource of the Sheriff's Office is being utilized to determine and bring to justice the person or persons responsible for this cruel and senseless act."

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com



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Date published: 10/16/2009


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A Pillar of the Community (posted by maxbella , Oct. 16, 2009 8:00 pm)   
M & P Market and later Jimmy's Thrift Store made you feel like family every time you walked in. Jimmy had such a kind heart. He has helped so many people behind the scenes. One example is when my friend's husband died. Jimmy told me he would buy all her yard sale items and blessed her above and beyond what she would have made at a yard sale. That was the kind of caring person he was. May God comfort the LeRose family. What a deep loss for them and for our Fredericksburg community. It will never be the same.

How proud (posted by SchnabbyBaby , Oct. 16, 2009 6:10 pm)   
his family must be of him for being the kind hearted and giving man that he was. There's not enough emphasis in the world to say how much he'll be missed.

Our thoughts go out to the family (posted by ChuckandLisa , Oct. 16, 2009 5:28 pm)   
Jimmy was a great man; he would give any one the shirt off his back. He was one of the greatest men I ever met. You are all in our thoughts and prayers...

Jimmy you will be missed. (posted by randomguy , Oct. 16, 2009 5:27 pm)   
It was such a pleasure getting to know him. Such a great guy who was always kind and offering things to others. If he had food with him he always offered me some and if he had the paper he would ask if I wanted it so I could read it at work. My condolences to the family, I know this is a very rough time for them.

R.I.P. (posted by Mooseman , Oct. 16, 2009 4:21 pm)   
Though we never met, I hope you rest in peace and your family can find comfort. I pray for God to bless them and to find those responsible and that they get their just punishment!

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