LURAY, Va. — A trial start date has been announced in the case of an Elkton man charged with homicide and arson in 2023.
Original story date: July 23, 2023.
PAGE COUNTY, Va. – Timothy Thomas Comer had eluded authorities for more than two weeks.
After a man was found shot dead in a Jollett Road residence in late June, police began searching for Comer. A suspicious Jollett Road fire on July 9 also indicated his involvement.
Just after 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, the Page County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced that Comer had finally been captured, and was in police custody.
It all began on the evening of June 29, when the Page County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a 911 call reporting a man down in the 5600 block of Jollett Road, Elkton (Page County).
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Upon arrival, first responders discovered a deceased male; the victim of an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was identified as Gregory Lee Williams, 69.
Investigators from the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. They, along with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, began pursuing the case as a homicide.
On June 30, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Shenandoah Police Department, and Virginia State Police began their round-the-clock search for Comer.
Initially just named as “a person of interest” in relation to the death of Williams, Comer became a wanted man on July 5 when the PCSO announced that a grand jury handed down a true bill of indictment against him. A felony charge of “felon in possession of a firearm” turned Comer from a person of interest into a wanted man.
On July 10, the PCSO announced they were investigating a suspicious house fire that happened July 9, on Jollett Road. The address was located in the same block where Williams’ body had been found a week earlier.
On Tuesday, July 11, Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage announced that the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) had joined the search for Comer, with a $2500 reward offered to any person who supplied information regarding his direct whereabouts. Within 48 hours, the cash reward for information leading to Comer’s capture had increased to $10,000.
In the late afternoon of July 13, social media was abuzz with citizen reports of increased police activity in the Jollett Hollow area. Online, residents offered words of encouragement to law enforcement, in the hope that Comer had been, or was close to being, apprehended.
Just after 6 p.m, the Page County Sheriff’s Office received information that Comer was seen entering a vacant home in the 4000 block of Jollett Road. Page and Rockingham sheriff’s deputies were already in the area, and within minutes of the call, were on-scene. After verifying that Comer was, in fact, in the residence, they established a perimeter around the house and began the process of taking the fugitive into custody.
After several hours and multiple commands to exit were ignored, gas was deployed to flush Comer out of the house. He was successfully extracted by the Virginia State Police Tactical Team and taken into custody without incident, at 9:37 p.m.
By 11:00 p.m., a PCSO Facebook post officially announced the end of what had been an exhausting multi-agency search.
It simply read, “CAPTURED!”
Within the hour, Sheriff Cubbage posted a follow-up video recorded near the area where Comer was apprehended. Sweat-soaked and visibly exhausted, Cubbage began his message to Page County residents:
”This evening, we have captured Timothy Comer. This has been a very long process … a lot of hours.
“I’d like to thank my staff and local, federal and state agencies that assisted us through this investigation.
“We still have a lot of work to do, and a lot of unanswered questions. But we will be getting that to you as soon as we have more answers.
“I’d also like to take this time to thank churches, the citizens who brought food by, non-profit organizations, businesses … just the outpouring of support we have received.
“I’d like to thank everyone for the prayers we received … coming and praying with us. This is what Page County is about.
“God bless Page County, and may you all have a good night. Thank you.”
During the days of the search, it appears Comer never left Page County; the rugged terrain of the Jollett Hollow area making it easier for him to evade capture. On foot, law enforcement teams searched for him around the clock. Helicopters and drones aided in the hunt.
“We had a helicopter doing fly-overs as well as drones, but there was so much foliage that it was very difficult to see the trail system,” said Cubbage.
On the ground, members searched slowly and methodically, almost literally leaving no stone unturned. They navigated thick brush, uneven footing, ticks, snakes, and air temperatures often exceeding 90 degrees.
“That area of Page County is a very complex area of terrain,” said Cubbage. “It’s a spider web of trails, and one trail can lead to several others.” .
As police remained in the area day after day, rumors swirled in the small community, leaving many concerned and afraid. According to Cubbage, while they searched, law enforcement took every measure to keep Jollett Road residents safe..
“If someone tries to harm one of our citizens or commits a violent crime against one our citizens, we’re not going to stop,” said Cubbage. “We’re going to work and work until we bring that person to justice. We were saturating that area with police presence 24/7 to respond to any tips we received.”
In addition to the original July 5 warrant for §18.2-308.1 (possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony), Comer also received a second charge for the same offense.
He has also been charged in the June 29 death of Gregory Williams.
During investigation of the July 9 fire, the remains of two individuals were located in the debris and sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manassas for autopsy and identification. Comer is now considered “a person of interest” in this case.
“Statistically, searches can sometimes last weeks or months,” said Cubbage. “I think our team did a phenomenal job rapidly and effectively bringing this search to an end.”
Cubbage credits tips from citizens and the tireless work of his staff and multiple agencies for ultimately leading to Comer’s whereabouts and arrest.
“The ECC did a tremendous job managing calls, information and radio traffic,” said Cubbage. “This was definitely a team effort.”
Community members closely following this story are eager to hear updates. Cubbage explained why immediate updates are not always possible.
“Investigations involve very sensitive information,” he said. “Additional information is still being gathered. There are interviews that still need to be conducted. We need to wait for analysis results of evidence we’ve submitted to the lab. I want to make sure we have a solid case with a conviction.”
On June 14, Cubbage once again took to Facebook to provide an update on the process.
“This is still a very active and fluid investigation. My investigators are still pursuing leads and awaiting additional forensic analysis from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Laboratory. They have been working extremely hard to find answers to so many unanswered questions. I would like to again thank all of the agencies who have assisted us during the last two weeks, to ensure that the person(s) responsible are brought to justice.”
Anyone who has additional information about Timothy Thomas Comer or recent events is encourage to contact Captain Tim Lansberry, or Lieutenant Kenneth Boyd at (540) 743-7810. No piece of information is considered too small.
“This investigation is not over just because Comer was captured,” said Cubbage. “That’s just one part of the investigation. We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Comer is being held at Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Jail.
On July 9, 2025, a status hearing on the case was held in Page County Circuit Court.
Online records now indicate that a jury trial, scheduled to last 15 days, will begin January 20, 2026, at 9 a.m.