Roanoke man charged with murder in reopened 2022 Roanoke River death investigation

ROANOKE, Va. (WSET) — A Roanoke man has been charged with the murder of a man found dead in the Roanoke River in 2022.

On June 28, 2022, Roanoke Police (RPD) were notified of an unresponsive person near the 500 block of Bridge Street SW.

Responding officers found a man lying in the Roanoke River, and Roanoke Fire-EMS pronounced him dead on the scene.

The initial investigation suggested that the man had possibly fallen from the nearby bridge into the water. RPD said there was no evidence found at the scene to indicate foul play, and the cause of death was deemed “undetermined” by the Medical Examiner’s Office. That man was later identified as 33-year-old Travis D. Isbell, of Roanoke.

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In January of 2024, Roanoke Police received information that led detectives to reopen the case, and ultimately, evidence was found that suggested the incident was a homicide. Detectives identified a suspect as 33-year-old Matthew T. Aldridge, of Roanoke.

According to RPD, the case was seen before the April meeting of the Roanoke City Grand Jury where indictments of First Degree Murder were issued. Those indictments were served without incident on April 1, 2024, at the Coos County Corrections Department, where Aldridge was incarcerated. He was extradited to the City of Roanoke this week and is now in the custody of the Roanoke Sheriff’s Office.

This investigation is ongoing, according to RPD.