Michael James Mitchke, 57, of Salisbury, North Carolina, was found dead on August 21, 2022, inside a burned camper at 3740 St. Peters Church Road. The camper was reported on fire about 9:45 p.m. by a passerby; fire crews extinguished the blaze and discovered Mitchke’s body. Investigators determined he died before the fire and ruled the death a homicide.

Mitchke had been working on a house on the property and was staying in the camper while the work was underway. Detectives recovered crucial evidence from the burned camper and say Mitchke died of a gunshot wound. Authorities believe there may be a connection to a July 20, 2022, murder in which David Kenneth Land was also killed by gunfire; investigators report physical evidence linking the two cases and have conducted more than 100 interviews but have made few leads.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and Mitchke’s family have offered a combined $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information about either murder is urged to contact investigators.