Body of woman last seen with NC suspect found west of Charlotte, FBI says

Daniel Printz has been tied to the disappearance of two women. Now, one of the bodies has been found.

On Monday morning, the FBI recovered the remains of Edna Suttles in a wooded area along Harris Holly Springs Road in Rutherfordton, a town about 75 miles west of Charlotte, an agency spokeswoman told The Charlotte Observer.

Printz, a Rutherford County resident, also has been linked to the 2017 disappearance of Nancy Rego, a Charlotte massage therapist who is believed to have been dating him at the time. He was arrested on related weapons and car theft charges in September.

In an Oct. 13 interview with investigators in which he said he wanted to “purge himself” of his sins, Printz hinted at multiple killings, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed in March.

Printz is a suspect — but has not been charged — in Suttles’ disappearance. The 80-year-old resident of Travelers Rest, S.C., has been missing since August, when she was last seen outside a Food Lion in her hometown. She appeared to be motionless in her SUV, which was being driven by Printz, the affidavit claims.

In October, Suttles’ purse, car keys and other personal items were found hidden in a bee box on Printz’ property, the affidavit claims. So was an empty yogurt cup, which tests later revealed contained a trace mixture of a prescription pain killer, a muscle relaxant and an anti-anxiety drug.

During a search on Oct. 10, a police cadaver dog “produced a strong alert” around a tarp and trash bag recovered near the bee box, according to the affidavit.

When asked specifically about Suttles during his Oct. 13 interview, Printz said he wanted a lawyer with him before he would say anything more.

But he told his interrogators he could take them to “within three feet” of the missing woman, the affidavit says.

Missing Charlotte woman

During a September search of Printz’s home as part of the Suttles’ investigation, detectives with the Greenville County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office discovered the driver’s license and passport of Rego, who disappeared five years earlier.

According to the affidavit, Rego’s family said she had begun a relationship with Printz before vanishing in November 2017.

For a time, family members texted and emailed with a person who purported to be Rego but who refused to meet or speak with them, the affidavit claims.

After Printz’s arrest last year, Rego’s debit card was found in his wallet. Investigators say Printz told them he held Rego’s power of attorney.

.A subsequent search of Printz’s residence by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office found even more links to Rego, including bank statements, credit cards and a wallet belonging to her mother, court records show.

During the same search authorities also found a small black bag that held zip ties, a Taser and crushed pills in a small plastic bag labeled “Ativan,” a powerful anti-anxiety medication, the affidavit claims.

A pack of yogurt

A week after Suttles’ disappearance in South Carolina, law enforcement officers found her 2014 champagne-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee parked outside a Best Western in Travelers Rest. Investigators quickly pulled surveillance video from the hotel, the nearby Food Lion and an antique shop next to Suttles’ home.

According to the affidavit, at 9:38 a.m. on Aug. 27, Printz scanned his frequent shopper card at the Food Lion. His purchase: a pack of yogurt.

A minute later, Suttles parked her SUV next to Printz’ silver Chevrolet Cruze in front of the store. Printz walked out of the grocery with a shopping bag and gestured to Suttles, the affidavit claims. He retrieved a small bag from the Chevy then got into the front passenger seat of the SUV next to Suttles. They drove off.

Four hours later, Suttles’ Jeep left her house back toward the Food Lion. At 2:02 p.m., it pulled up in the store’s parking lot. This time, according to the affidavit, Printz was driving. He moved Suttles to his car, then drove her Jeep to the Best Western, where he was caught on camera wiping down the inside and outside of the vehicle.

At 2:14 p.m., he walked back to his car and drove off. By this time, according to the affidavit, Suttles appeared “motionless.”