Police find body of NC police chief’s daughter in storage facility; seek former NY man

Cops seek NY man in death of NC chief’s daughter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina police chief pleaded Monday for fellow law-enforcement officers nationwide to help find a man accused of killing the chief’s daughter, whose body was found in a self-storage unit.

Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton urged officers across the country to keep a lookout for the man accused of killing his 23-year-old daughter, Valerie. Her body was found over the weekend in Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

“I want to ask my law enforcement brothers and sisters across the country to help me with this,” Hamilton said during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” ”They took my daughter, guys. Play it right, play it by the rules, but y’all get out there and find this guy for me and when it comes back my way I’ll pay you back.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police offered no new developments early Monday in the search for Harvey. The former Niagara Falls, N.Y., resident was convicted of rape in that state. His North Carolina criminal record includes failing to register as a sex offender and felony breaking-and-entering.

Police said Sunday they believed Harvey was still in the Charlotte area. Harvey was driving a white 1996 Chevrolet Blazer with North Carolina tag ZXE-1756, investigators said.

Multiple media outlets reported that investigators went through Hamilton’s apartment and the neighborhood around Thomas Street Tavern several times during the three-day search for the young woman. Detectives interviewed guests at an east Charlotte hotel Saturday evening and Harvey’s home in northern Mecklenburg County was searched Saturday, but he wasn’t home.

Police would not say what evidence led them to Harvey or to Hamilton’s body, which they found at the Mini-Storage Center in the 4500 block of Monroe Road.

Harvey was raised in Niagara Falls and his mother and sister said they believed he was innocent in the slaying, WKBW-TV in Buffalo, N.Y., reported.

(This version CORRECTS spelling to Charlotte-Mecklenburg.)