HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office worked with Hampton Police, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCI), and Virginia State Police in this investigation.
Investigators arrested a Hampton man and charged him with murdering Raquiah Paulette King.
King, 20, wasdiscovered along the side of the road in the area of Winns Church Road and Greenwood Road in Hanover County on July 21, 2022.
Emmanuel Dewayne Coble, 27, of Hampton, was arrested on August 11 and charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
“After working with the Medical Examiner’s Office and ultimately Ms. King’s family, we were able to positively identify her. Once we were able to quickly identify a suspect," said Lt. James Cooper with the Hanover County Sheriff's Office.
Coble is scheduled to be arraigned in Hanover court on Tuesday.
Hanover investigators said they believed King was killed in Hampton and Coble later disposed of her body in Hanover.
King and Coble had, at one point, been in an intimate relationship, according to investigators.
“Honestly, it really doesn’t matter where it occurred because we have a body. And when we have a body, we’re going to treat it as a homicide investigation," Lt. Cooper said. “Once we have a suspect, then it’s multiple search warrants that were executed not only on his residence but his cell phone and that kind of helped put the pieces back together."
Coble works for the U.S. Navy, according to court records. Hanover officials said additional charges are likely in the case.
“It’s difficult, but that’s why we work very hard to bring justice not only to Raquiah King but also for her family. It’s the first step in bringing some sort of closure for them," Lt. Cooper said.
"I am incredibly proud of the diligence of our investigators and our law enforcement partners which led to the arrest of Emmanuel Coble," Hanover Sheriff Col. David Hines said. "This arrest is the first step in bringing justice to Raquiah King and her family."
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
