Law enforcement is looking for the man they believe to be responsible for the murder of a Belhaven man.

Investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are seeking Jayquwan Lamar Newmones, 23, in the relation to the Dec. 23 death of 27-year-old Timothy Bernard Moore, of Old County Road, in Belhaven. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, investigators received a warrant on Tuesday charging Newmones with an open count of murder. Newmones is approximately 5-feet, 5-inches tall and his whereabouts are unknown, the release stated.

“The word we have is he is from New Jersey, but he’s been living in Belhaven for just a few months now,” said Lt. Jim Vanlandingham, head of the sheriff’s office criminal investigations division. “He also has some history in Martin County.”

Moore’s body was discovered by a passing motorist off a dirt road, close to Beach Ridge Road in Belhaven, on Christmas Eve. In an earlier interview, Vanlandingham said Moore was last seen around 8:30 or 9 p.m. on Dec. 23.

At the Beach Ridge Road scene, investigators discovered more than 30 pieces of physical evidence they believe associated with the crime. The cause of death appears to be gunshot, though it won’t be official until the exact cause of death is determined by autopsy. The autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, the press release stated.

Since Moore’s discovery, investigators have spent the holiday interviewing his friends, family and anyone else who may have come in contact with Moore in the hours before his death, the release said. Vanlandingham declined to comment on the circumstances that led investigators to Newmones.

“I’m holding pretty tight to the details until we can get him into custody,” Vanlandingham said.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, along with other local law enforcement agencies, is actively searching for Newmones. The Beaufort County Crime Stoppers Board has approved a $1,000 reward for any information leading to his location and arrest. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Newmones is asked to call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at 252-946-7111 or Beaufort County Crime Stoppers at 252-974-6400.