William Strand

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit Worcester County (MD)

Missing From:

Pocomoke City, Maryland

Summary:

William Edward Strand is wanted in the 2021 murder of Lesa Renee White. Strand, 52, has been on the run since early January 2021. Investigators found a local man, Terry Rolley, who was shot and seriously wounded, and the same common denominator was Strand.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Family members reported White missing to the Pocomoke Police Department on Monday, January 4, 2021. According to a preliminary investigation, White, a Wicomico County correctional officer for 15 years, was last seen earlier that day in Pocomoke City. Investigators discovered White on the evening of January 6 in a residence in the 1400 block of Snow Hill Lane in Pocomoke City, Maryland. Around the time White vanished, authorities said they received a call about a shooting in the Pocomoke City area. Investigators found a local man, Terry Rolley, who was shot and seriously wounded. Detectives executed a search warrant at Strand's house where they found the body of Lesa White. She had a single gunshot wound to her chest. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore ruled her death a homicide and that she had been fatally shot.

Additional Details:

According to detectives, White, a Wicomico County Correctional officer, was reported missing and was last seen at a Maryland urgent care center on the Eastern Shore with her estranged husband, a man her family believes she wanted to reconcile with. At the time of her disappearance, White was calling off a relationship with a man she shared a child with named William Strand. Rolley was injured with a shotgun and investigators said the motive was because of COVID protocols and Strand wouldn't keep his distance. Rolley had a long journey to recovery, and is now back to his life and work. The District Court Commissioner's Office in Worcester County issued an arrest warrant for William Edward Strand, 52, of Pocomoke City, Maryland. Strand is facing charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection to the death of Lesa Renee White, 48, of Atlantic, Virginia. At the time of White's slaying, Strand was wanted on an arrest warrant in a separate attempted murder case in Somerset County. The man in question had disappeared into thin air and had not been heard of since the day Lesa's body was discovered. Unfortunately, William Edward Strand is still on the run and hasn't been captured yet. In Pursuit with John Walsh season 4 premiere featuring Strand aired at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 on Investigation Discovery and was available to stream on Discovery+.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 19, 2026