When Reginald Perry sat down with Raleigh police after Richard Hauser's body was found, he told investigators that Hauser had been stabbed to death. The problem was that police had not yet notified Hauser's next of kin. No one outside the investigation was supposed to know the cause of death. Perry knew anyway.

That detail sits at the center of a murder case that began, according to search warrants, with a secret. Hauser, 63, had been in a relationship with Perry, 69, who was married. Hauser's family told police he had informed them about the affair. Two weeks before his death, Hauser told his family he was going to tell Perry's wife.

The Days Before the Stabbing

At some point before Hauser was killed, Perry brought his wife to Hauser's home on Pender Street in Raleigh. According to search warrants, Perry accused Hauser of contacting her and called him a liar. The confrontation was direct and angry.

The night before Hauser's body was found, a witness saw Perry sitting on Hauser's porch. Perry was asking about Hauser's whereabouts. In front of that witness, Perry allegedly said Hauser talked too much and threatened to kill him.

Hauser was found dead from stab wounds at his home just before 11 a.m. the following morning.

What Police Found in Perry's Truck

Investigators searched a pickup truck known to be driven by Perry. Inside, they found an open folding knife with a broken tip. They also found multiple towels that tested positive for blood. Perry was arrested the day after Hauser's body was discovered and has remained in custody without bond since.

The Case Moving Forward

A grand jury indicted Perry on murder charges in December 2025. In court proceedings earlier this year, Perry denied that he had been involved in a same-sex relationship with Hauser. His trial is ongoing, with a hearing scheduled in a Raleigh courtroom on April 30, 2026.

Search warrants filed in the case identify the alleged motive as centered on the secret relationship between the two men and Hauser's decision to expose it. Perry's knowledge of how Hauser died before police released that information to the public remains one of the most significant details prosecutors are working with.