PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Investigators returned to a Portsmouth home Thursday, one day after police arrested a 53-year-old man in connection with a homicide investigation that has drawn multiple law enforcement agencies to the neighborhood.
Ann Kincheloe, who has lived on Elliott Avenue for nearly 30 years, said the level of law enforcement activity is unusual for the neighborhood and has been difficult to watch.
“When you see NCIS people down there and FBI and ATF it it really is kind of distracting,” Kincheloe said.
Kincheloe and her husband were home Wednesday when police arrested Gregory Michael Coffey at 3404 Elliott Ave.
“It was quick. All we heard sirens and then all of a sudden we see all these vehicles and all these people running around down there. We see the canine dog down there,” Kincheloe said.
Coffey faces charges of first-degree murder and defiling of a dead body. His arraignment was held Thursday morning.
A spokesperson for the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said Coffey was brought out, had his charges read and was appointed a public defender.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth police and other city departments were back at the Elliott Avenue home Thursday.
Coffey's arrest follows the discovery of the remains of Gordon Randolph Tillman Jr. outside the home Sept. 25. The remains were positively identified as Tillman on Sept. 28.
Tillman's brother, Raymond Poole, reported him missing Sept. 2. The next day, Poole came to the Elliott Avenue home looking for his brother. Police said Poole allegedly shot Coffey.
Poole was arrested Sept. 11 and charged with attempted second-degree murder.
The continued activity at the home has left neighbors questioning what investigators are looking for.
“What are they looking for now? What, they arrested the man. What are they now looking for? Are they looking for a weapon? Are they looking for other bodies or what?” Coffey's mother said.
Kincheloe agreed that neighbors are still looking for answers.
“If there's more to it that we need to know about, we need to know about it,” she said.
Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins thanked eight agencies Wednesday for helping with the investigation: the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS), Virginia State Police and the police departments of Chesapeake, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Smithfield and Newport News.
“All of these folks were instrumental in providing resources and technology that helped us shift through this massive scene in such an expeditious manner,” Jenkins said.
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