By Drew Moody
For the Hur Herald
drewmoody@verizon.net
Everett Campbell, 33, is facing 1st degree murder charges
in the shooting death of Mark Medley, 39, of Moundsville.
He is being held without bond in the Central Regional Jail.
The case was bound over to circuit court by Magistrate Carol
Wolfe for a bond hearing Wednesday, Aug. 2, before Judge Alsop.
More details of the shooting were revealed today, July 31, including
that Medley may have been the one to call 9-1-1 just minutes before
he was shot.
Someone did call 9-1-1 prior to the shooting. Court records indicate
SrTr R.P. Smith heard two gunshots as he left the WV State Police
office to answer the call - just 300 yards east.
Campbell testified today that he told Medley to leave, then fired a
warning shot in the air. The second shot hit Medley near the bottom
of his rib cage.
Campbell claims he intended to hit Medley in the leg.
Campbell said he didn't intend to kill the man. Court records
further indicate Medley may have threatened Campbell earlier.
The shooting was a culmination of a series of ongoing events that had
transpired the day of the shooting, and perhaps even prior to that.
Court documents suggest there was an ongoing conflict between
Campbell's ex-wife, Campbell and his sister. And at the center
of the conflict was the care and custody of Campbell's children.
Campbell's sister apparently had the children and was attempting
to take them to Campbell's father's house at Sand Fork, documents
indicate.
Medley and Mary Ann Campbell, the ex-wife, were
in a car following or chasing them. The records are not
clear on this point.
Everett Campbell followed behind Medley and there may have
been a fourth vehicle involved as well. Campbell told police he
had the murder weapon in the floorboard area of his vehicle
prior to the shooting.
The vehicles apparently traveled through the Brooklyn area of
Glenville, briefly stopped downtown and then continued
on to Sand Fork.
Court records indicate there may have been several attempts to
call 9-1-1 at this time, but whoever was calling couldn't get
service - or a signal at the time.
The shooting apparently occurred shortly after Campbell's sister
arrived in Sand Fork, and Campbell's children were apparently in
her vehicle at the time. Court records didn't indicate whether
they witnessed the shooting.
Campbell indicated at the preliminary hearing that he witnessed
the Medley vehicle attempting to force his sister's car off
the road, records indicate.
In his report, SrTr R.P. Smith indicates he heard two gunshots
as he was preparing to answer the domestic call at the residence. Upon
arriving, describing the scene as chaotic, he saw Mary Ann Campbell
lying on the ground beside the victim screaming, "Everett shot him,
Everett shot him."
SrTr Smith first located the weapon, a black Taurus .357 magnum
revolver, on the front porch. After securing the weapon he
went to assist the victim.
At that time records indicate Medley told SrTr Smith the "guy
in the green shirt" shot him.
Ambulance crew arrived shortly thereafter. Everett Campbell was
questioned and placed under arrest by SrTr Smith.
Court records indicate Medley died prior to 10 p.m., not long
after he was shot, but wasn't officially pronounced dead until
11:16 p.m.
The Hur Herald's previous coverage of the shooting indicated
Gilmer County Sheriff Mickey Metz believed Medley died as
he was being loaded in the ambulance.
State Police units from Lewis and Braxton Counties also answered
the call, as well as the Gilmer County Sheriff's Department.
Statistics compiled by the West Virginia State Police indicate almost
one-third of West Virginia's murders in 2004 happened in connection
with a domestic violence situation, or occurred as a result of a history
of domestic abuse.
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