911 calls: Man found dead in Wake County ditch was alive when seen by caller

A man found dead in a ditch off Old Stage Road last Wednesday was spotted alive by a driver several hours before authorities located his body, according to a 911 call.

Sheriff Donnie Harrison last week said someone called 911 at about 7 a.m. to report the body near the Green Spring Valley Mobile Home Park on Greenvale Road.

“There’s a pedestrian in the ditch. I saw him as I was driving by. He’s moving, but moving slowly,” the 911 caller said.

The caller said that the man appeared to be dirty, in a “supine position” and was partially clothed with his pants around his ankles.

The caller can be heard warning the 911 dispatcher that the man may be hard to locate at first.

“I didn’t even realize what I had seen until I was gone,” the caller said. “It’s hard to see. My son saw him, and was like, ‘Hey, what was that?’ and it’s a person. It’s a man.”

Authorities said they searched after the 7 a.m. phone call, but they were unable to find the man.

The caller who initially spotted the body called 911 again at about noon to say the man was still in the ditch, but no longer appeared to be alive.

“I called at 7 o’clock this morning, and this poor guy’s been laying here in a freaking ditch,” the caller said.

The caller can be heard calling out to the man before telling the 911 dispatcher, “He’s dead.”

Following the second 911 call, authorities returned to the area and located the body, identified as 34-year-old Kevin Edward Thomas.

"I am thinking we just missed it, to be honest with you. It was pretty concealed," Harrison said last week about why it took so long to locate the body.

Authorities have not released a cause of death for Thomas.