Suspect pleads not guilty in Charlotte tow truck driver killing; court sets case on trial track
Case advances in 2024 death of tow operator Khyre Grier
A man accused in the fatal shooting of a Charlotte tow truck driver entered a not guilty plea Thursday, moving the case toward a trial after he declined a proposed plea agreement. The victim, 25-year-old Khyré Jamaal Grier, was killed while working in east Charlotte on Sept. 26, 2024.
The plea decision came during a court appearance in Mecklenburg County involving Ramon Santos-Funes, one of two brothers charged in connection with the homicide. Prosecutors had offered a deal under which Santos-Funes would plead guilty to second-degree murder and two additional charges in exchange for a prison sentence described in court as at least 38 years. Santos-Funes told the judge the offer was “very high” and maintained a not guilty plea, leaving the case positioned for trial proceedings.
What investigators have said about the shooting
Police have previously reported that Grier was found shot to death inside the driver’s seat of his tow truck at an apartment complex off Eastcrest Drive near Central Avenue. Officers were dispatched during a welfare check and located Grier at about 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 26, 2024.
Grier’s family has said he was working at the time of the killing and described him as a father of two children, including a 5-year-old and a newborn. In earlier interviews, the family also said Grier’s girlfriend was on the phone with him shortly before he was killed and that the call ended abruptly.
Two defendants, different case outcomes so far
Two brothers were arrested in the case. Court proceedings to date show diverging paths:
Ramon Santos-Funes: pleaded not guilty on Thursday after rejecting the plea offer, placing the case on a trial track.
Fabio Funes: pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of first-degree murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 7.5 years in prison.
What happens next
With a not guilty plea in place, the case is expected to move through pretrial steps that can include motions, evidentiary hearings, and scheduling decisions that determine when a jury trial could begin. The court has not publicly detailed the full evidence expected at trial in open filings referenced in the latest hearing, and investigators have not disclosed additional new facts about the shooting in connection with Thursday’s plea decision.
Grier was killed on Sept. 26, 2024, and the case entered a new phase on Feb. 5, 2026, when the remaining defendant pleaded not guilty and declined a plea agreement.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.