Episode 51: MURDERED: Kenneth Michael Leefe - La Grange, NC

A restaurant manager finishes a normal shift and is shot in his own parking lot minutes later. No robbery. No suspect. Just a car that disappeared into the night.

Episode Summary:

On June 24, 2010, 55-year-old Kenneth “Ken” Michael Leefe closed the Bojangles where he worked along U.S. Highway 70 in La Grange, North Carolina. After locking up around 11:30 PM, he got into his car to head home. Within moments, a dark-colored Mazda 626 pulled into the lot, approached his vehicle, and a single shot was fired. Ken was found slumped over the steering wheel. Nothing was taken from the store or his car, and the shooter never got out of their vehicle.

Investigators determined early on that robbery was not the motive. Surveillance footage captured the suspect car entering and leaving the area, but the license plate could not be identified. Detectives collected video from nearby businesses and interviewed employees, but no arrests were ever made.

Ken was described by his family as kind, outgoing, and deeply devoted. His daughter later said he was “the nicest person to everybody.”

Over the years, theories have surfaced about what may have happened. In 2013, his wife told reporters she believed the killer could have been a disgruntled former employee who knew when Ken would be leaving work. Law enforcement has never confirmed a suspect or motive. More than a decade later, the case remains unsolved, and a $20,000 reward is still being offered.

If you were in the La Grange area on June 24, 2010, or remember seeing a dark-colored Mazda 626 near the Bojangles on U.S. 70 around 11:30 PM, your information could help bring answers.

Anyone with information is urged to contact:

• Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office: (252) 559-6140
• Crime Stoppers of Lenoir County: (252) 523-4444
• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation: (800) 334-3000

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