GRETNA, Va. — A Gretna man, 66-year-old Lonnie Rowland, has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of his wife, Cynthia Rowland, 64, at their home in Pittsylvania County on Sunday evening.
Deputies from the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a deceased individual at a residence on Derbie Road around 7:51 p.m. Upon arrival, they found Cynthia Rowland unresponsive with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities quickly named Lonnie Rowland as the primary suspect and took him into custody shortly after arriving. He faces charges of first-degree murder (Code 18.2-32) and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony (Code 18.2-53.1).
Rowland was arraigned Monday morning in Pittsylvania County General District Court and is being held without bond.
Cynthia Rowland’s body has been sent to the medical examiner’s office in Roanoke for an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no further details have been released at this time.
