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From Pitt County Sheriff’s Office:

Pitt County, N.C. – At 4:54 p.m. on Thursday November 23, 2023, Pitt County Deputies responded to the residence at 1407 Rick Circle in Greenville to the report of a deceased person. Deputies arrived to discover 41-year-old Jessica Bentacourt Riggs deceased with a fatal gunshot wound. The death has been ruled a homicide.

Rigg’s live in boyfriend, 35-year-old James Stewart Purvis, Jr., is a person of interest in this homicide.

Purvis was seen leaving the residence in the hours surrounding the homicide. He was last seen operating a dark in color Ford Explorer. The Explorer has since been recovered by the Raleigh Police Department in the vicinity of a bus station in Raleigh.

Purvis currently has a felony warrant for Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and has been entered into the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) database as a wanted person.

If anyone has any information related to this incident or the location of James Stewart Purvis, Jr., please call Detective Christopher Hobbs with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office at 252-902-2699 or Pitt-Greenville Crime Stoppers at 252-758-7777. Through Crime Stoppers you can remain anonymous and may earn a cash reward.