Brian Grant, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) draft pick, was apprehended on Wednesday night on charges of second-degree murder in North Carolina. The 40-year-old is currently being held without bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center. The charges stem from the alleged murder of a 61-year-old locksmith, Randy Stewart.
The Oak Island Police Department reported that they responded to a call on Wednesday evening and discovered Stewart, who had succumbed to gunshot wounds. Grant was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder. According to local news outlet WRAL, police body camera footage revealed Grant claiming that Stewart had threatened him with a knife.
Grant, a North Carolina native, was chosen by the Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2002 MLB Draft after graduating from Charles B. Aycock High School in Pikeville. The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher spent four seasons in the minor leagues, playing for the Medicine Hat Blue Jays, Pulaski Blue Jays, and Auburn Doubledays. Despite his efforts, Grant never made it to the major leagues. Over his minor league career, he recorded a 4.72 ERA in 169.2 innings with 111 strikeouts.
Currently residing in Fuquay-Varina, a town approximately 20 miles south of Raleigh, Grant was arrested at his second home. The incident reportedly occurred during a service call by Stewart’s locksmith company to Grant’s residence, as reported by the Wilmington Star-News.
A representative from the district attorney’s office confirmed to the Star-News that the residence was indeed Grant’s second home. Grant’s attorney, in a statement to the Star-News, maintained that the former pitcher has no criminal record and has a family with young children. The attorney also suggested that the case was a clear example of self-defense.
Grant made his first court appearance in Brunswick County on Thursday. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 11.