On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia posted on their Facebook page that an arrest was made in connection to the murder of Emma Compton Layne.
“Sheriff Fred Clark announces the arrest of Russell Wayne Layne, age 67, of Nathalie, VA, for the senseless murder of his wife, Emma Compton Layne, which occurred in June of 2017,” the HCSO Facebook post states. “Layne was taken into custody by authorities earlier this evening and served with an indictment for murder by Sergeant Jeff Burton.”
Dateline featured Emma’s story in October of 2017. Emma had vanished on Saturday, June 17, after she finished closing the convenience store she owned in Cody, Virginia around 7:30 p.m. She was supposed to spend the following day at the hospital visiting her mother, but never showed up.
The family reported Emma missing that Tuesday, after they found Emma’s credit card, clothes, car keys, cell phone, and dog left behind at her home.
In 2017, Investigator J.M. Burton of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office told Dateline that police began their investigation and got in contact with Emma’s husband, Russell Layne, who allowed authorities to search their home. Burton said Layne had been cooperative. “I guess the husband is always a suspect to some extent,” he said. He added that Layne had done several interviews with police and was not considered a person of interest at the time.
Cadaver dogs were brought in to search the home and surrounding area the day after Emma was reported missing. The investigator also told Dateline they conducted ground searches and searches of nearby ponds, but none of those searches produced anything significant.
On November 22, 2017, hunters found human remains in the woods less than a mile from the property Emma and her husband own. At the time, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office Major Tommy Spencer told NBC affiliate WSLS the remains were scattered across the ground and someone seemed to have attempted to bury the body.
The remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner for autopsy, examination and positive identification. In January 2018, the remains were positively identified as belonging to Emma Compton Layne.
It is unclear what Emma’s cause of death was, but authorities have stated that she was “violently murdered.”
Last year, on the sixth anniversary of Emma’s death, WSLS spoke to one of Emma’s sisters, Shawna Compton-Krohn, who said no matter how much time passes, she’ll never stop fighting for Emma. “We’re going to get justice for Emma. So just hiding, being cowards, it’s not going to make a difference because I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to fight for Emma every day,” she said.
The news of Russell Layne’s arrest came just one day before Thanksgiving 2024.
Emma’s other sister, Wynona Childress, told WSLS earlier this week that the news feels like a full-circle moment. “Emma’s remains were found the 22nd of November. But in 2017, the 22nd of November was the day before Thanksgiving. And then we get this call today, the day before Thanksgiving. And it’s a blessing. I feel like I finally have something to be thankful for after seven years and five months,” she said.
In their announcement of the arrest, the HCSO stated that Emma’s case has been a “top priority” since day one and that they “remain committed to seeking justice for Emma and her family.”
“We hope that this arrest will bring some measure of closure to Emma Layne’s family and loved ones,” they wrote.
Russell Layne is being held without bond in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority awaiting arraignment. It is unclear if he has representation at this time.
Emma’s case remains active and authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact Sergeant Jeff Burton of the HCSO Investigative Division at 434-476-3339.