Man's body discovered on Grannies Creek farm Sunday,
rural area known for drug trafficking
By Bob Weaver
The unconfirmed murder of a man, reportedly shot to death on a Grannies Creek farm, is still under investigation.
State Police have yet to identify the victim, who was allegedly killed by a woman Sunday afternoon.
The Newton and Walton VFDs responded to a request by authorities to help search the area Monday, likely for a weapon or other evidence.
State Police in South Charleston reported Sunday that a suspect had fled the scene and was traveling south from the Grannies Creek area. The report said the shooter could be armed and dangerous.
Grannies Creek, mostly in Roane County, is a remote area. In recent years it has been known for drug trafficking, some of which has been connected to "Murder Mountain" at Ovapa, Clay County, just across the county line.
Neighbors close to the murder scene report that a "meth lab unit" was on the scene, but that information could not be confirmed.
Neighbors heard shots fired on the old Fred Hall Farm, located about two miles from the mouth of Grannies Creek. The Hall homestead burned to the ground several years ago, leaving a large barn and some outbuildings.
There were indications that the victim, or possibly the shooter, were salvaging building materials from the old structures.
"The old place is really grown up," said a neighbor. "You can hardly see it for the brush."
The Grannies Creek road had been closed by investigators, but it is now open to traffic. | 
