AULANDER – A local businessman was shot and killed near here Thursday night while en route to his Conway home after a long day at work.

Uday Manik, age 56, was shot multiple times while behind the wheel of his vehicle, according to Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes. A motive for the murder is unknown at this time.

Manik owns the Sonoco Convenience Store (the former Red Apple Market) at the intersection of NC 11 Business and NC 305 (Commerce Street) in downtown Aulander as well as the Woodland Supermarket in that Northampton County town.

Hayes said his office received a call at 9:14 p.m. Thursday regarding a vehicle sitting idle in the road at the intersection of NC 561 and NC 305 near Tri-County Airport.

“The caller said the car’s windows were busted out and there was a person inside the vehicle who was unresponsive,” Hayes said. “Upon the arrival of (HCSO) Sgt. Isaiah Williams and Deputy Keith Lassiter, who were the first on the scene, they found a man, later identified as Uday Manik, alone inside the vehicle who had been shot multiple times.”

Hayes added that Manik was deceased at the time his officers arrived, and that the vehicle was in the westbound lane of NC 561.

“I made the call to the SBI to help us process the crime scene and assist with the investigation,” Hayes stated. “We remained out there until close to 5 a.m. Friday morning gathering evidence.

“We also received assistance from the members of the St. John and Millennium volunteer fire departments to help light-up the scene as well as to block off that stretch of road so the investigators could do their work without the presence of traffic. I thank those fireman, as well as the response of our county’s EMT personnel, for their help,” Hayes added.

As for suspects in the case, Hayes said there were none at this time. However, he did say that his investigators were in the process of interviewing witnesses on Friday morning.

“We’re working to build information that will help us determine who was responsible for this senseless murder,” Hayes said. “It was extremely tough to go to this man’s home and look his wife in the eyes and share the tragic news of her husband’s murder. That alone makes me and my staff want to work that much harder to solve this case and bring to justice the person or persons responsible for this murder.”

Those with any information about this case are urged to call Hertford County Crimestoppers at 252-358-7841. All information shared, to include the name of the caller, is kept confidential.