Felon charged with murdering missing N.C. woman
WILSON, N.C. -- Police in North Carolina have arrested a felon in connection with the death of a 20-year-old woman missing for three weeks, reports CBS affiliate WRAL.
Gregory K. Parks, 56, was arrested Wednesday and charged with kidnapping and killing Isabel Calvo Palacios, Wilson police said in a statement. Police say they haven't located Palacios' body, and are working "around the clock" to find her.
Palacios was reportedly last seen by friends at Parks' Wilson home on July 31. Police obtained a search warrant for the home soon after the disappearance and it was the subject of searches for several weeks, reports the Wilson Times. Meanwhile, family, investigators and volunteers reportedly scoured Wilson and the surrounding areas for the missing woman.
Gloria Cortez, Palacios' aunt, told the station in the days after the disappearance she was concerned for her niece's safety because one of her friends contacted her through Facebook, telling her she had heard Palacios was hurt, the station reported.
After the news of the charges, Cortez told the Wilson Times that she hopes if Parks knows where her niece is, he will tell police.
"Really all we want is to find her," Cortez said. "If he's the guilty person, then we hope he pays for his crime."
Police said in the statement officers found evidence to charge Parks with kidnapping and murder.
Parks was convicted on two counts of participating in prostitution of a minor in February 2013, but an appeals court overturned the convictions, citing insufficient evidence, reports the Wilson Times. Parks reportedly has previous convictions ranging from manslaughter to attempted first- and second-degree rape.
Parks denied involvement in the disappearance in an interview Aug. 6 with WRAL. He said he served his time "honorably" for his previous convictions, and said he was partying with Palacios the night before she went missing.
"We were friends," he told the station. "We were having a little fun."
He said Palacios left his house that Friday around 2:30 p.m. Parks said the woman mentioned she was meeting someone, but didn't say who. He said Palacios called someone to pick her up and left her car at his home.
"I gave them [police] all the information that I had," Parks said. "I don't know her habits, as far as where she was going, who she was meeting."
Police are investigating other cases that might be tied to alleged criminal activity at Parks' home, the station reports.
Parks is being held in the Wilson County jail. He was ordered held without bond. It was not clear if he has an attorney.
Anyone with information about Palacios is asked to call the Wilson Police Department at 252-399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 252-243-2255.