Man Arrested in Killing of Mortgage Employee

Thirty-five-year-old Michael Dodge II was shot and killed Oct. 21 while working to re-secure a home for a mortgage company on Mountain View Road in Stafford County. A coworker who was on the phone with him reported hearing gunshots and called 911, and deputies arriving at the scene found Dodge unresponsive in the driveway. Officers established a perimeter after not knowing the shooter’s location and, after noticing movement inside the residence, conducted a brief standoff before arresting 64-year-old Donald Thomas. Thomas has been charged with first-degree murder and unlawfully shooting or wounding in the commission of a felony and is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Dodge’s family expressed profound grief, called him a generous person and asked that well-wishers donate to a charity they designated instead of sending other aid; authorities say it is not yet clear what led to the shooting and the investigation is ongoing.