Murray (left) Robinson (center) Gibson (right)
Howard Kenneth Murray, 31, plead not guilty Tuesday to first degree murder charges filed against him in Wirt County for the murder of 33-year-old Brent Wilson Butler on February 6.
Butler is well-known to the Calhoun community, his father lives in the county and his wife is a Calhoun native.
An indictment says Murray "stabbed Butler with a spear," during what court records indicate was the commission of a burglary.
The indictment says Murray hit and kicked Butler several times in addition to stabbing him.
Two other subjects, Corey Allen Robinson, 20, and Oscar James Gibson, Jr., 33, have already plead not guilty to multiple charges related to the crime during an arraignment last week.
All three men are Wood County residents.
Murray is facing five other counts related to burglary, battery and destruction of property.
During a preliminary hearing, Ashlea Angely, told the court that Robinson kicked-in the door of Butler's trailer near Elizabeth, entering the dwelling with Gibson.
Court records quote Angely saying that, Gibson had a gun, and asked Butler where Butler's wife Devin and Jamie Wine were, claiming they had stolen his marijuana.
The report says Murray then entered the trailer at Shear's Trailer Court and started kicking Brent Butler, at which time he grabbed a dagger from a closet for protection, then called 911 for help.
The hearing indicated there was two separate encounters with the perpetrators and the victim during the commission of the crime.
Angley removed the Butler's young daughter to a neighbor's trailer.
Angely then testified she heard a cry from Devin Butler that her husband was hurt.
Testimony by Jamie Wine during the court proceeding said he was on his way from Parkersburg with Devin Butler where they had gone to meet Robinson, when he noticed a car following him while returning to the Butler residence.
State Police said Murray admitted to stabbing Butler, saying Butler put a sword to his neck, but he managed to get the weapon away from him, chasing him while swinging the sword, hitting him three or four times.
Murray said he threw the sword out of a car window while leaving the scene.
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