Lynchburg Police arrested Michael L. Perry III (21) of Lynchburg, after he was detained in connection with the murder of Avriel Hooks.
LPD Detectives worked tirelessly over the past week, utilizing all available investigative resources and partnered with Hooks’ family, our community, local, state, and federal partners with hopes of locating Hooks safely.
Following the extensive search earlier today in Amherst County in partnership with the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), a body was located in a wooded area off U.S. 60 (Lexington Turnpike), Amherst, VA.
Michael L. Perry III was transported to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail where he is being held without bond on the following charges:
- Murder in the 2nd Degree
- Unlawful Disposal of a Dead Body
Our thoughts are with the family of Avriel Hooks during this difficult time.
Your Lynchburg Police Department would like to thank Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations for their assistance in this case.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact LPD Detective C.T. Davis at 434-455-6166, ACSO Investigator B. Escher at 434-946-9373, or Crime Stoppers at (888) 798-5900. Enter an anonymous tip online at P3Tips.com or use the P3 app on a mobile device.
EARLIER:
The search continues in Lynchburg for a woman who’s been missing for a week now. A community search party is planned for 9:00 this morning for 20-year-old Avriel Hooks.
Searchers are gathering at the corner of Fort Ave and Mckinney Avenue.
Ashley Pittman is putting together a prayer service tonight at 7:15 at her home at 1820 Florida Avenue. Hooks was reported missing last Wednesday, after Pittman says she received a text message from her daughter’s phone number that she believed wasn’t actually Hooks.
Lynchburg Police have interviewed people Hooks regularly communicates with and on Sunday they searched an area that she frequents. They say Hooks’ lack of communication with her family and abnormal absence makes her disappearance suspicious.
[UPDATE] LPD Continues Search for Missing Person
Avriel Hooks was last seen by her family on August 22, 2023 around 8:00 p.m. and reported missing on August 23, 2023. Your Lynchburg Police Department (LPD) has been working diligently since then to locate her. LPD has been in constant communication with Hooks’ family and continues to investigate this as a missing person case. However, Hooks’ lack of communication with her family and abnormal absence makes her disappearance suspicious. Detectives have interviewed individuals who Hooks regularly communicates with and are utilizing all available investigative resources.
On Sunday, August 27, 2023, LPD Detectives with assistance from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, searched an area in the City of Lynchburg where Hooks frequently travelled. At this time, Hooks has not been located and her whereabouts remain unknown.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Avriel Hooks is urged to contact Detective C.T. Davis at 434-455-6166 or the Lynchburg Police Department. Any and all updates will be provided as an update
Here is the latest information from Lynchburg Police: