No charges have yet to be filed in the Wednesday morning shooting death of 56-year-old Henry Lionel Link, but authorities say they are continuing to question his wife, Mary Lee Link.
The couple operated a country store, which doubled as their residence, at 2075 East Hyco Road. Their relationship, according to relatives and neighbors, was a stormy one.
It was Mary Link herself who reported by phone the shooting. She was led from the scene by Halifax County sheriff's deputies but as of yesterday afternoon, no charges had been filed and she remained free.
Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker Jr. would only say that Mary Link was "cooperating" and that the investigation was continuing.
An autopsy was completed yesterday on Link's body but the State Medical Examiner refused to provide any details to the press of those findings.
Law officers say that the shooting followed a domestic quarrel and Link appears to have died of a single gunshot wound inflicted by a small caliber handgun.
"They didn't get along," one neighbor told a news reporter at the shooting scene where a number of relatives and friends of the couple had gathered and were waiting for investigators to deliver what most had already feared might have happened.
Outside and all around Hyco Road Country Store flowers bloomed everywhere. Neighbors and those passing along East Hyco Road took notice, too.
"She works out here (garden) every day," one neighbor said as he stood and watched police enter and exit the rear door of the store.
"They fought all the time!" a relative of the couple said more succinctly.
Not all of the neighbors on East Hyco Road got along with the Links.
Barbara and Owen Howerton live just across the road from the store and, in July 1996, Barbara Howerton swore warrants against the Links charging them with assault by threats to do bodily harm. Barbara Howerton complained that Mary Link threatened "to blow my head off if she caught me out in public!"
Those charges were later dismissed .
In another incident, this one in August 1990, Lionel Link was convicted of brandishing a firearm and given a suspended six-months jail sentence.
Deputies say that several weapons were confiscated from the scene.
The two were said to have operated the store on Highway 744 for approximately 15 years.

No arrests have been made in the Tuesday night robbery of Hardee's restaurant on Wilborn Avenue in which two employees managed to flee safely and call police. Sought are two black males, thought to be in their teens or early twenties, 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 9 inches in height, each weighing approximately 150 lbs., and one with light complexion, the other dark.
As many as 17 police officers from South Boston, the Town of Halifax, Halifax sheriff's deputies and Virginia State Police surrounded the empty restaurant before a special attack team of officers entered the building but found no one.
That occurred not long after Faye Bowman and Angela Beard were approached by the robbers around 9:45 p.m.
"He's got a gun...I'm gone!" Beard said she heard Bowman cry out as the two turned and raced for the rear exit.
Police said that one of the two robbers bolted up to the counter, pointed the weapon toward one of the workers and demanded money.
The gun has been described as possibly a small revolver, but detailed descriptions of the gunmen are sketchy. This Hardee's restaurant, ironically, was scheduled to have security cameras installed this week.
One robber, police said, was masked but the second made no effort to conceal his identity.
Employees say that the two had entered the restaurant and were standing around and at one point, may have entered the restroom before making their move. No other customers were inside the restaurant when that happened.
Beard and Bowman ran along Edmunds Street to a residence and sought help. Within minutes, police surrounded and secured the robbery scene.
Police are uncertain if the two gunmen left on foot or by vehicle.
Missing from the restaurant was a metal cash drawer which had little or no cash, according to reports.

The search for an escaped Blue Ridge Regional Jail inmate is now focused outside of Virginia, according to jail officials.
Kenneth John Cruczek, 34, managed to slip out of a set of handcuffs and out of sight from an escorting correctional officer while receiving treatment at Halifax Regional Hospital on May 19.
Cruczek was the object of a six-hour search that same afternoon, one which involved dozens of officers, dogs and a search airplane.
The inmate was arrested January 31, for credit card fraud, and was awaiting trial when he escaped. Authorities said at the time of his escape that Cruczek was not considered dangerous.

A 20-year-old Nathalie man was found guilty of seven separate felony charges in a trial on Thursday in 10th District Circuit Court.
Judge Leslie M. Osborn found Michael Lee Carrington guilty of two counts each of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, of breaking and entering, of grand larceny and one count of a reduced charge of receiving stolen property.
Carrington was remanded to custody pending presentencing in the July term of court.
· Floyd Elam, 36, of Nathalie, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to an amended indictment of unlawful wounding in 10th District Circuit Court in Halifax.
Elam is free on bond pending presentencing in the July term of court.
· Robert Dana Lowery, 19, of South Boston, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one merged count of forging a check with intent to defraud.
Lowery is free on bond pending presentencing in the July term of court.
· Tony Barretta Smith, 25, of South Boston, was found guilty on Tuesday to one count of felony child neglect.
Smith had his prior bond revoked and was remanded to custody pending a presentence report in the July term of court.
· Juan Rico Tucker, 28, of Halifax, pleaded guilty as a result of a plea agreement on Tuesday to two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Tucker's prior bond was revoked and he was remanded to custody pending presentencing during the July term of court.
· Johnny Johnson, 37, of Nathalie, was found guilty of one count of felony hit and run.
Johnson is free on bond until presentencing in the July term of court.
· Kenneth Harrell Stewart, 34, of Nathalie, entered an Alford Plea and was found guilty of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
Under terms of the Alford Plea, a defendant does not actually admit guilt, but realizes the evidence is so persuasive as to make conviction almost a certainty.
Stewart was remanded to custody pending presentencing during the July term of court.

It's a wash.
"There are no less courthouse restrooms now than before," assistant County Administrator Jerry Lovelace said yesterday.
"And with the same capacity," he added.
Nearing the completion of general district court's renovation, the number and location of public restrooms had been raised in some quarters.
However, Lovelace said that no one has raised the restroom issue with him.
There are 17 restrooms in the entire courthouse complex, including the sheriff's department, with seven for public use and 10 for private/employee use, according to Bill Wolfe, director of county general properties.
The 130-seat general district court area will have two public restrooms, each with one stall.
In the previously renovated juvenile and domestic court upstairs, there is one, single-stall facility for the public.
"Due to expansion, J&D (court) lost two public restrooms upstairs," explained Wolfe. Each of those was a single stall-facility.
"They were eliminated because the clerk's office in J&D needed more space," he added. "Plus, those two restrooms would be flushing over the (general district) courtroom downstairs."
There are, however, additional restrooms in the older part of the courthouse, but their use raises security issues.
The single entrance for general district and the J&D court is to be equipped with metal detectors to screen everyone entering the facility.
However, the original entrance to Halifax Courthouse is not a secured entrance.
It is through the historic building's main double doors that attorneys, real estate agents and the general public enter to seek deeds, court records or conduct daily business.
While those in the J&D section of the court might move into the circuit court area of the old courthouse to use restrooms, that would raise the security issue since someone from the unsecured area could also move into the secured area.
"I don't know what the answer is between circuit court and J&D," said Wolfe. "We would have to block the top (hallway). There is just so much that you can put in that courthouse."
Wolfe blames modern-day, heavy court loads and the lack of available space for the problem.
The general properties director proposed several options to solve the security problem.
Block inside entrances to the secured section of the courthouse, he suggested, or secure at least the circuit court area of the main courthouse to create free access between the courts.
The main entrance to the heavily traveled public records section would remain open.
However, if the second floor entrance to circuit court were closed to allow an overall secure courts area, the judge, attorneys, defendants and all others entering circuit court would have to enter behind the judge, explained Wolfe, unless the judge's bench were moved to the opposite end of the courtroom, reversing the room's current configuration.
Of the overall courthouse renovation plan, Lovelace noted that there were five or six different configurations, all of them proposed before a final plan was approved and accepted by the Board of Supervisors.
State and federal court officials also offered suggestions.
"Engineers tried to pick the best features and configuration out of all those proposals put forth," Lovelace noted.
"The intent of the renovations is not to provide toilets, it is to provide for an improved general district court, both for the administration of justice in the courtroom itself and to provide for a larger and more efficient working area for court staff, which in turn results in improved services to the public for all aspects of general district court operations," said Lovelace.
The assistant administrator also said that the building code calls for one restroom for each 25 people.
"We have been very pleased with the cooperation of the Board of Supervisors and the county administrator in terms of responding to requests we have made for improvement of the facilities in Halifax," Chief 10th Circuit Court Judge William Wellons said yesterday.
"They tried to make changes to benefit the courts and the citizens, and to do so in a cost-effective manner," added the judge.
Since most of the courthouse renovation planning took place before Judge Wellons assumed his position as chief judge, he said that he did not know the details of the development of the plans being executed.
However, he had no question about the results.
"As far as improvements, it is a far better situation with general district court than we previously had."
With the addition of jury box, the judge said that, if needed, two jury trails could be conducted in circuit court, if general district court were vacant.
"As a result of installing the elevator (to meet the American Disabilities Act requirement), it has taken additional space and there have had to be some comprises," he added.
Judge Wellons said that "it would be nice" to have additional restroom facilities, but said there are also other court needs. "But at this point in time, we have to accept circumstances as they are," he added, noting space limitations.
Still, on a packed court day in general district court, it is not hard to imagine a line forming outside the two restrooms, each of which serves one person at a time.
And if they have a long wait, it is likely the efficient administration of justice in the renovated facility will be the last thing on their minds.

BY JOE CHANDLER
Halifax County's Northwest Region semifinal game against Albemarle was one that got away.
The Comets vaulted to a 4-0 first inning lead in Wednesday night's game in Charlottesville only to see the Patriots come from behind to land a 6-4 win and a berth in next week's Group AAA State Baseball Tournament.
"I told the guys that in order for someone to beat us we have to give it to them and that's what happened," said Comets coach Kelvin Davis.
"It's a hard feeling because you know we had an opportunity to win the game. This (Albemarle) is a team we know we can beat. But, you've got to go out and do it."
The Northwest Region semi-final game marked the rubber match for the two teams who had split their four previous meetings.
"This was round five of a ring fight," said Patriots' coach Jim Garnett whose team became the first team in Albemarle High School history to make it into the state tournament.
"Halifax is a very, very good ball club. We've very excited about being able to beat them three times out of five this year.
"Kelvin has done a great job with them," added Garnett.
"They've got no reason to be hanging their heads. They've had a super season. We feel very fortunate to come out on top."
Halifax County did exactly what it needed to do at the outset, get a quick lead and put the Patriots' sophomore pitcher Derek Wilson in a hole.
The Comets tagged Wilson for four runs on four hits in the top of the first inning to go up 4-0.
Leadoff batter Matt Hastings singled and scored on a double by Nick Thompson to give the Comets a 1-0 lead.
Mike Priest singled to give the Comets runners on first base and third base. And, Brian Medley singled to load the sacks.
Thompson trotted across the plate for the Comets' second run when Meadows grounded out to second base.
Priest, who was moving on the play, advanced to third base and scored when R.D. Cole grounded out to the shortstop to give the Comets a 3-0 lead.
Medley scored when Justin Smith reached base on an error to put the Comets up 4-0.
The inning ended when Smith was picked off attempting to steal second base but, the Comets were in good position with a 4-0 lead.
But, the momentum changed in the top of the third inning when the Comets had Wilson in a deep hole again and let a virtually certain scoring opportunity go by the wayside.
The Comets, after having given up a run to the Patriots in each of the first two innings, led 4-2 at that point in the contest.
Thompson, Priest and Medley started the inning with back-to-back base hits. Meadows popped up to the shortstop for the first out of the inning. The inning ended when Cole hit into a double play that killed the rally and ended the inning.
"Basically, that's what's been happening for the last couple of games," Davis said.
"We've had the runners on but we've been having a hard time getting them in.
"Any time we get runners on and cannot score we're just letting the other team stay in the ball game a little longer. That's what we did."
From that point, the Patriots held the Comets in check.
Halifax, which had recorded eight hits in the first three innings, two each by Thompson, Priest and Medley, and one each from Josh Milam and Hastings, had only three base runners through the final four innings.
The first of them was Chad Compton who reached base on an error in the fourth inning.
Medley came up with a two out double in the fifth inning.

And, Wilson walked Compton to start the top of the seventh inning.
Albemarle's coach then stepped in and placed ace lefthander Thomas Martin on the mound.
Martin fanned Hastings, Thompson and Priest in order to retire the side and end the game.
The Patriots took the lead with a three run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 5-4.
Designated hitter Pete Chandler doubled with one out. A hit by Derek Malikian scored Chandler to make the score 4-3.

Joe Feola cracked a two RBI double with two out to give the Patriots a 5-4 lead.
Davis pulled Meadows, who had given up seven hits and two walks at that point, off of the mound at that point and inserted Scott Adams.
The Comets retired the side when Martin popped up to Milam in centerfield.
Albemarle plated an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning when John Halliday and William Johnson came up with back-to-back singles. Halliday scored on an error by Priest at third base to give the Patriots their final run of the contest and a 6-4 lead.

The Comets finished the contest with a total of nine hits with Medley leading the way with three hits and Thompson and Priest emerging with two apiece.
Hastings and Milam had the other two hits.

Adams, the Comets' relief pitcher, allowed four hits, one walk and a run in one and a third innings.
HCHS Baseball
HALIFAX
Results
PLAYER AB R H RBI
Hastings, lf 4 1 1 0
Thompson, rf 4 1 2 1
Priest, 3b 4 1 2 0
Medley, 2b 3 1 3 1
Meadows, p 3 0 0 1
Adams, p 0 0 0 0
Cole, ss 3 0 0 0
Smith, 1b 3 0 0 0
Milam, cf 3 0 1 0
Compton, c 2 0 0 0
TOTALS 29 4 9 3
ALBEMARLE
PLAYER AB R H RBI
Shifflett, 2b 3 2 1 0
Feala, cf 3 0 2 2
Martin, 1b, p 4 0 0 0
Shiflett, c 4 0 1 0
Halliday, rf 3 1 2 0
Johnson, ss 3 1 2 0
Chandler, dh 3 1 1 0
Malikian, rf 2 1 2 2
Cantore, 3b 2 0 0 0
Johnson, p 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 28 6 11 4
Halifax 4 0 0 0 0 0 0--4
Albemarle 1 1 0 3 1 0 x--6

The Halifax County High School girls softball team saw its season end Wednesday with a 3-0 shutout at the hands of Cave Spring in the semi-finals of the Northwest Region Softball Tournament.
"We're a little disappointed," said Comets coach Melanie Saunders whose Western District champion team compiled a 16-6-1 record.
"We'd have liked to have won the game but we played well. It was a good game and Cave Spring is a good team. I was pleased with the game. We competed with them."
Halifax got six hits against the Knights with Brandi Conner, Shonda Welch, Anna Lewis, Branda Best, Jenny Armistead and Joni Foster each getting a hit.
But, the Comets just didn't get the hits when they were needed the most.
"We hit but it was sporadic," Saunders noted.
"We had a hit in just about every inning but we just couldn't get the hits together."
The Comets' biggest opportunities came in the second, third and fourth innings when the leadoff batter reached base to start the inning.
A single by Best started the second inning but she was retired when Lindsay Stolzenthaler hit into a fielder's choice. Armistead and Nicole Davis struck out in succession to end the inning, leaving a runner on the sacks.
Foster led the top of the third inning off with a double. But, she was stranded there as Conner and Welch struck out and Hoskins popped up to the pitcher.
Lewis led off the top of the fourth inning with a single. But the Comets never advanced a runner past first base as a pop fly and two fielder's choice plays allowed the Knights to end the inning.
Halifax also had opportunities in the fifth and seventh innings but couldn't take advantage of them.
Conner came up with a double in the top of the fifth inning and Welch walked to give the Comets two runners on the sacks. But, Conner was picked off attempting to steal second base to end the inning.
Armistead came up with a single with one out in the top of the seventh inning but was stranded when the two batters that followed were retired to end the game.
Cave Spring tagged Lewis, the Comets' hurler for four hits and scored a run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Three hits in the bottom of the third inning that included back-to-back doubles, the second being a two RBI hit, put Cave Spring up 3-0.
Lewis held the Knights to just two hits through the final three innings but the Comets could never muster the offensive firepower it needed to put runs on the board.
The Comets made their way into the Northwest Region semi-final game by defeating Roanoke Valley District runner-up William Fleming 10-2 here Tuesday.
Halifax County pounded William Fleming with 10 hits, three of which came in the bottom of the first inning when the Comets plated four runs to grab a 4-0 lead.
Hoskins' bunt single, and a two RBI double by Lewis accounted for three of the runs. The fourth run scored on a William Fleming error.
Halifax added another run in the second inning when Amberly Moon reached base on an error and scored on a triple by Conner, a run that gave the Comets a 5-0 lead.
Four hits and Comets' error allowed William Fleming to plate two runs in the fourth inning to make it a 5-2 contest.
The Comets added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take an 8-2 lead.
Lewis reached base on an error and scored on a double by Best. Armistead came up with a two RBI double later in the inning to drive in the other two runs.
Four base hits laced together in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Comets their final two runs of the game and a 10-2 lead that held up the rest of the way.
HCHS Softball

HALIFAX CO. AB R H RBI
Conner, ss 3 0 1 1
Welch, cf 2 0 1 0
Hoskins, lf 3 0 0 0
Lewis, p 3 0 1 0
Best, c 3 0 1 0
Stolzenthaler, 3b 3 0 0 0
Armistead, 2b 3 0 1 0
Davis, 1b 2 0 0 0
Shannon, 1b 1 0 0 0
Foster, rf 3 0 1 1
TOTALS 26 0 6 2

CAVE SPRINGS AB R H RBI
Lancaster, lf 4 1 2 0
Williams, cf 4 0 1 0
Thomas, ss 4 0 1 0
Childress, c 3 0 2 0
Waldron, p 3 0 1 0
Saunders, rf 3 1 3 0
Spangler, 3b 3 1 1 0
Caldwell, 2b 3 0 1 2
Lowe, 1b 2 0 0 0
TOTALS 29 3 12 3

Halifax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0--0
Cave Springs 1 0 2 0 0 0 x--3

Annie Belle Perkins Brown, age 81, of 3043 N. Terry's Bridge Road, Halifax, died May 31, 2000, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Brown was born in Halifax County on May 31, 1919, the daughter of George Monroe Perkins and Lou Kate Perkins and was married to Donald Aylor Brown. She was a member of the South Boston Church of God.
Survivors include two daughters, Shirley Allen Satterfield of Cluster Springs and Jean Brown Tanner of Richmond; two sons, George Allen Brown of Charlotte, N.C. and David Wayne Brown of Halifax; one sister, Louise P. Rinehardt of South Boston; 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Brown will be held Sunday, June 4 at 4 p.m. at South Boston Church of God with the Rev. Michael Dean Allen conducting the service. Burial will take place in Halifax Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home Sunday from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. and other times at the home.

Elizabeth Fisher Guill, age 59, of 1109 Newton Farm Road, South Boston, died May 31, 2000, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Guill was born in Campbell County on February 7, 1941, the daughter of Hudnell O. Fisher Sr. and Helen Moses Fisher. She was a member of Fork Baptist Church and a retired seamstress with Daystrom.
Funeral services will be held at Brooks Funeral Home June 3 at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Charles Stewart officiating. Burial will follow in Clover Cemetery.
Survivors of Mrs. Guill include her mother of Brookneal; two daughters, Wanda Guill Chandler of South Boston and Linda Guill Francis of Danville; three sisters, Patricia Fisher, Ruth Lancaster and Ruby Holland, all of Lynchburg; three brothers, Hudnell O. "Buddy" Fisher Jr. of Lynchburg, Robert Fisher and Jack Fisher, both of Brookneal; two granddaughters, Ashley Chandler and Sara Francis; and one grandson, Joe Francis, all of Brookneal.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home this evening, June 2 from 7:30 until 8:30, and other times at the home of her daughter, 3071 Dan River Church Road, South Boston.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, PO Box 875, South Boston or Bosom Buddies, 2078 Wolf Trap Road, South Boston.