A Roanoke man has been sentenced to jail for killing his brother and two dogs in 2022.
Lloyd Alfred Harris pleaded no contest to four felony charges in Roanoke City Circuit Court on July 24, 2025: second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of murder, and two counts of animal cruelty resulting in death, according to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney John M. McNeil, Jr.
Harris received a 27-year prison term, which was suspended after 17 years. Following his release, he will serve two years of supervised probation.
The sentencing specifics are as follows:
Second-degree murder: 20 years in prison, suspended after 12 years are served
Use of a Firearm: 3 years in prison to serve
Cruelty to an animal involving a death: 2 years in prison with 1 year suspended
Cruelty to an animal involving a death: 2 years in prison with 1 year suspended
Total sentence imposed: 27 years in jail, suspended after 17 years served. Harris will serve two years of supervised probation upon his release.
McNeil made this statement concerning Harris and the sentence:
The case involving Lloyd Harris has been pending in Circuit Court since he was indicted for these charges in August, 2022. Mr. Harris was deemed incompetent by the Court and ultimately committed to Catawba hospital for over 2 years in an attempt to restore him to competency. He was finally deemed competent to stand trial on April 23, 2025. The settlement agreement was reached as it was a sentence that was right in the middle of the applicable sentencing guidelines and reflective of his documented mental health issues.
Harris was charged with the killing of John Q. Harris, an Asheville, North Carolina resident. The shooting occurred on July 30, 2022, on the 800 block of Hershberger Road.
Police discovered John Harris with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead on the scene. A dog was found dead in the house, and another died at the vet.
Both dogs had been shot.
