Knotts Island woman charged in disappearance of Martrell Andre Lamar

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Currituck County woman was arrested Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of 42-year-old Martrell Andre Lamar.

According to the Virginia Beach Police Department, Ashley Walton, 35, of Knotts Island, was charged with concealment of a body and accessory after the fact of murder.

Lamar was first reported missing on July 2, 2024. News 3’s Leondra Head spoke with Lamar’s family in September, and they believed Walton had something to do with his disappearance.

Check out previous coverage: Lost Currituck Co. Man’s loved ones remember him with candlelight ceremony

Relatives of missing Currituck Co. man remember him with candlelight ceremony

“The second time he got lost and they were arguing on the bridge and I heard him. His car ran out of gas. He was waiting for someone to pick him up. Detectives said they found out who picked him up, but Lamar’s mother, Debra Freeman, said, “I wasn’t given any information about who he was.”

Freeman said the two had been dating and living together since March.

During News 3’s conversation with the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, it was confirmed that the two were dating and were still dating at the time of Lamar’s disappearance.

Watch previous coverage: Man missing from Currituck County for more than a month

Man missing from Currituck County for more than a month

“Until we see a body or see him again, at this point I’m still praying and hoping for the best because he’s not going to leave this place,” Lamar’s sister Keanisha Harris told News 3’s Leondra Head.

Lamar still has not been found and the investigation into his disappearance is now being treated as a homicide, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the VBPD Detective Bureau at 757-385-4101 or contact Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.