On Feb. 14, the body of Justin O’Neal was found in a marsh in Rodanthe following a lengthy search. The case has triggered considerable speculation about the circumstances surrounding his death. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement a week after the body was found, indicating that while foul play wasn’t suspected, anyone with information was invited to contact the Dare County Sheriff’s Office at 252-475-5980, Dare County Communication Center at 252-473-3444, or Dare County Crime Line 252-473-3111.
This week, Jonna Midgette, an aunt of Justin O’Neal and a representative of his family, spoke to the Voice about the status of the investigation. She reported that the family had recently hired a private investigator, former New York detective Michael Guadagno, to help work on the case. Guadagno was also the investigator hired by the family of LeeAnn Fletcher, the Kitty Hawk woman who died in July 2020—a case that ultimately resulted in a voluntary manslaughter plea by defendant John “Jay” Tolson.
“We have hired…a former NY homicide detective who works as a private investigator just to assist, to help [the Dare County Sheriff’s department] in any way…He’s independent…but he’s had conversations, meetings, and has the full support of the sheriff’s department from our perspective.”
Asked about the status of the sheriff’s department efforts, Midgette said that while there were some communication issues initially, “We don’t want to hinder the Dare County Sheriff’s Department investigation in any way. It’s ongoing…We certainly confirm with the sheriff’s department routinely that it’s ongoing. We feel confident that it’s ongoing.”
One thing that everyone is awaiting is the final autopsy report from the Medical Examiner’s Office, which is apparently months away from release and should include a cause of death and manner of death. But as Midgette noted, “the manner of death can be undetermined.”
Asked about the family’s sense of the circumstances around Justin’s death, she responded that “Some things have seemed less realistic [over time] and other things, [we’ve] become open-minded to. We want to know the truth and that’s really our message, whatever that is…We want to know what happened.”
If there’s things we didn’t know, we need to know,” she added. “And Justin would want us to know. It’s just a horrible thing not to know the circumstances surrounding something that was so unexpected.”
Asked if the family suspects foul play, Midgette said, “Whether it was accidental we don’t know. But…somebody knows something and that’s what we want brought to light.”
When contacted by the Voice for this story, Dare County Sheriff’s Department Captain Kevin Duprey said, “We are still investigating things that are coming in,” adding that in recent days, the department had been on Hatteras interviewing people regarding the case. He confirmed that the department “is in contact with the family [of Justin O’Neal]” and evaluating information it receives from the public. “The sheriff’s office appreciates everyone’s concerns and everyone’s calls,” he said.
Both Midgette and Duprey confirm that the State Bureau of Investigation is currently not involved in the case.
