The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed early Sunday morning that officers found the body of Valerie Hamilton in a storage unit in East Charlotte.

Eyewitness News was there as officers searched for evidence at the Mini-Storage Center on Monroe Road near Commonwealth Avenue around 12:30 a.m. Sunday. During a press conference shortly thereafter, Deputy Chief Harold Medlock described Hamilton's death as a murder and announced police are looking for a suspect named Michael Neal Harvey.

Medlock did not say what the relationship was between Hamilton and Harvey but said police hope someone will come forward with information about Harvey.

"We're actively and very earnestly seeking the public's help in locating Mr. Harvey or the Chevrolet Blazer he is driving," he said, adding that police believed Harvey is still in the Charlotte area.

Police said Harvey, 34, is driving a stolen, white 1996 Chevrolet Blazer. The license plate on the vehicle is North Carolina tag ZXE-1756. Police asked anyone with information on Harvey's whereabouts to call 911 immediately.

Hamilton, the daughter of Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton, was last seen early Wednesday morning at the Thomas Street Tavern in Plaza Midwood.

After police announced the discovery of Hamilton's body on Sunday, the City of Concord released a statement expressing condolences for the Hamilton family.

"Everyone in the City organization is hurting because of what has happened to our friend and coworker Merl Hamilton and his family," City Manager Brian Hiatt said.

"We are devastated over this tragic event and want to do everything possible to support this family that has been so important to Concord," Mayor Scott Padgett added.

Only Eyewitness News was there while police searched Harvey's last known address in North Charlotte on Saturday night. Police wore trace suits to collect fibers and other evidence from the home.

Eyewitness News also saw detectives interviewing employees and people staying at the Econolodge motel on East Independence Boulevard in East Charlotte Saturday night. People staying at the motel said the police showed pictures of a man and asked if people had seen him. Sources said that the man checked out on Friday. Police said that man was Harvey.

Eyewitness News learned that Harvey is a registered sex offender, who was convicted of rape in upstate New York in 1996. He also was arrested for breaking and entering, possession of a firearm by a felon, and several probation violations.