CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man suspected of killing another man in Charlotte earlier in July and was arrested in South Carolina on July 17 appeared in Mecklenburg County court Monday morning.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said 41-year-old Eric Watson was taken into custody in Lancaster County, South Carolina. Watson is charged with killing 36-year-old Derrick Byas more than a week prior.
Jail records showed Watson was booked into the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on Friday, July 19. During his court appearance Monday, Watson was denied bond.
Watson was arrested with the help of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Byas' family has been notified of the arrest.
Byas was found dead in south Charlotte on July 8, 2024 as police were investigating a disabled car left in the roadway. Police said he had a gunshot wound when he was found along Rea Road, near I-485 and Piper Glen Drive.
Investigators noted Byas was found outside of the SUV near an embankment off the road. Neighbors told WCNC Charlotte the discovery was grim and a shock for a normally quiet neighborhood.
Byas was one of five people killed in shootings across Charlotte within a 48-hour timespan that weekend.
Watson's next court date is scheduled for Aug. 8.
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