Double Homicides Worry County - Red Star indicates location
of double murder of Mike and Julie Flanagan on Left Fork Rd.
(Sycamore) 2009 and Blue Star indicates location of double
murder of Ward Groves and Mary Hicks 2003 along US 33-119
A double homicide has many Calhoun residents on edge.
The Flanagan murders have been the topic of conversation around the county, expressing disbelief about such an event happening in the rural community, recalling other murders in recent years, including the Groves-Hicks murder in 2003.
The Groves-Hicks murder was just a few miles away as the crow flies from the latest tragedy.
Convicting the killer of that brutal event has become uncertain at best, with a third trial for alleged shooter Ronnie Rush being considered by the WV Supreme Court.
State Police are assuring residents they are using considerable resources in catching the killer of the Flanagan family.
REGIONAL NEWS REPORTS APRIL 30, 2009
Community on edge Residents concerned after double homicide
By David Hedges, Publisher
www.thetimesrecord.net
A typical conversation in Millstone this time of year might involve plowing gardens or the recent warm weather.
But this is not a typical year.
A Millstone couple was found shot to death in their home on Tuesday, April 14. The bodies of Michael and Julie Flanagan, both 52, were discovered by their daughter just before noon.
Two weeks after the incident, no suspects have been arrested or even identified, which has people in this small Calhoun County community on edge.
Diann Clothier, a neighbor to the Flanagan home on Left Fork Creek Road, said people are "buying new guns, locking doors and leaving more lights on.
"It's the same thing anyone would do when someone is murdered in the neighborhood," she said.
Crystal Brenneman, who operates a beauty shop on W.Va. 16 by her home near the entrance to Left Fork, said folks are concerned.
"People are afraid," she said. "Nobody knows anything, and that's the problem. Everybody's heard rumors, but nothing has been released to my knowledge.
"We're not used to this kind of thing," she said. "I think the community feels they are owed a little bit of reassurance."
Neena Sampson, a cashier at the Pit Stop in Mt. Zion, agreed.
"People are worried that there is a murderer running loose," she said. "I'm just locking my doors."
"Big John" Moynihan, a self-described jack-of-all trades at the Millstone Inn, said some folks talked of keeping their guns loaded for a few days after the incident.
That talk has subsided for the most part, but he said people still want to know what happened.
"The rumors are rampant, but this is Calhoun County," Moynihan said.
"People are scared because they're not putting out a lot of information, which is understandable," he said. "There doesn't seem to be any leads, or any suspects. But I have noticed an increased police presence."
Clothier, who has lived in the area for 20 years, said the Flanagans came from Ohio nine or 10 years ago.
She said Julie Flanagan had three children in school at the time, and they would ride with the Clothiers when they took their own children to the bus stop each morning.
"Once their kids graduated, we really didn't see them much," she said. "We knew them to wave, but we really didn't socialize."
She said Mike Flanagan had a grown son who did not live here, as well as a granddaughter.
"It's tragic," she said. "I feel bad for the kids."
The Flanagans lived alone after their children finished high school until Julie Flanagan, who previously worked as a substitute teacher in Calhoun County, began caring for her grandmother, whom Clothier said died this past winter.
Clothier said the last time she saw either of the Flanagans was the Friday before their bodies were discovered.
"I saw Mike on his 4-wheeler with his granddaughter," she said.
She said the last time anyone she was aware of saw them was midday Monday, as they were grocery shopping at Walmart in Spencer.
"Their groceries had been put away," she said of the time their daughter discovered their bodies on Tuesday. That would mean they were killed sometime between Monday afternoon and when the bodies were found.
Clothier said traffic was heavy for a few days after the discovery.
"It seems like everybody in the county has been up and down this road," she said.
Things have quieted down, with one exception.
"Either the (state) troopers or the sheriff's department runs by on this road at least a couple of times a day now," she said.
Since the traffic has died down, the hollow where the couple lived is quiet. Their car remains parked in front of the home, where trash was bagged up and sitting outside on a recent afternoon.
"It's creepy'" Clothier said. "I don't think it was a random thing. The police haven't given us any information, but they have tried to make us feel at ease that it wasn't just your local meth yahoos on a rampage."
Sgt. Michael Baylous of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation said officers are conducting interviews and following up leads.
"At this point, we don't know enough to say if they were targeted or if this was random," he said. "We haven't seen any more events of this type. I don't know that the community has any more cause to be concerned than usual."
But that doesn't keep people from wondering what happened in this normally peaceful corner of the world.
"Like everybody else, I'm hoping they find out who did it," Moynihan said, "and maybe a 'why' if there is one."
REGIONAL NEWS REPORTS APRIL 23, 2009
Homicide Victims Were Dead For Days
By David Hedges, Publisher
www.thetimesrecord.net
Police say a Calhoun County couple found shot to death in their Millstone home had died a few days before they were discovered.
The bodies of Michael D. Flanagan and Julie Lynn Flanagan, both 52, were found in the living room of their home on Left Fork Creek off W.Va. 16 between Millstone and Mt. Zion.
Police said their daughter, a student at Glenville State College, made the discovery when she stopped at the home shortly before noon last Tuesday, April 14.
The couple had been dead for two or three days, according to State Police investigating what they are calling a double homicide.
"There's no way to determine an absolute time of death," Cpl. F.L. Hammack of the Spencer detachment said. "But it would be safe to say they died late (Saturday) April 11th or early (Sunday) April 12th."
At least one of the Flanagans was seen at Speedy Mart in Arnoldsburg that Saturday evening, Hammack said.
Police have not released any possible motives for the killings or the names of any potential suspects.
"It's still very early in the investigation," Hammack said. "We do have particular people we are looking at, but to say we have a definite suspect would be unfair. But certainly we have some persons of interest."
Finding a motive for the killings may be even more difficult.
"From what we have determined they were quiet people who lived in a quiet hollow," Hammack said. "But obviously something went very wrong."
Hammack said the couple had moved from Ohio to Calhoun County eight or nine years ago. He said Julie Flanagan's family lives around the Lodi and Wooster areas of Ohio.
Hammack said she worked as a substitute teacher in the Calhoun County school system until she quit to care for an elderly family member who has since passed away.
He said school officials he spoke with had high praise for her work.
"The kids really liked her and she was very reliable," Hammack said.
He said Michael Flanagan was an artisan who handcrafted wooden bowls and other items. Hammack said he had recently purchased some cattle and was getting into farming.
"They were very humble people who lived a very simple lifestyle," he said.
He said their home was in a small valley and not visible to any other homes, although their neighbors did not live far away.
"They didn't have a lot of local ties and they just kind of stayed to themselves," Hammack said. "But the people who did know them all say they were the best people you'd want to meet.
"From all outward appearances, they didn't cause anyone any problem," he said. "It's difficult to figure out why something like this would happen."
Members of State Police detachments in Grantsville and Spencer, along with the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation are all working on the case, with assistance from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Dept.
Persons with any information are asked to call Cpl. J.B. Hunt at the Grantsville detachment (304-354-6334) or Hammack at the Spencer detachment (304-927-0950).
REGIONAL NEWS REPORTS APRIL 17, 2009
MetroNews: Murdered Couple New To Calhoun County
"State Police say the suspect pool in a double-murder case in Calhoun County is pretty wide at this time."
"Fifty-one year old Michael Flanagan and his 52-year old wife Julie Flanagan were found shot to death at their home near the community of Millstone earlier this week."
"They were relatively new to the area," said State Police Spokesman Sgt. Mike Baylous. "My understanding is they had moved here from Ohio within the last couple of years and hadn't really made a lot of ties in the community."
"Troopers say however, the couple had numerous friends up and down the east coast and traveled extensively. They were found dead by their daughter, who does live in the area."
"They were transplants to the area and didn't have strong community ties and they traveled a lot," said Baylous. "Anybody that might have any information is encouraged to give us a call."
"The bodies were found inside the house, but troopers are not saying if they have found any evidence at the scene that might lead to a suspect. They continue to question people and follow up leads."
"As with any investigation, we haven't narrowed it down. There are all kinds of considerations that we are still looking into," Baylous explained. "They just haven't had time to get into anything in-depth. That will happen as time goes on." - MetroNews
(The Flanagan family have lived in Calhoun County for 8 years, Mrs. Flanagan a substitute teacher in the county school system - Hur Herald)
REGIONAL NEWS REPORTS APRIL 15-18, 2009:
"State Troopers say someone or a group of people broke into the home of 51-year-old Michael Flanagan and 52-year-old Julie Flanagan and murdered them. Investigators say there was evidence of a burglary." - MetroNews
"As a result of those interviews, one person has been cleared, but the police do have some people of interest in mind." - Charleston Gazette
"Troopers are conducting interviews and following up on leads, but no arrests have been made." - MetroNews
"The victims allegedly were shot, but police cannot confirm the cause of death at this time, Baylous said." - Charleston Gazette
"Cpl. J.B. Hunt is leading the investigation and has been conducting interviews all day, Baylous said. As a result of those interviews, one person has been cleared, but the police do have some people of interest in mind." - Charleston Gazette
Scene where Mike and Julie Flanagan found
murdered on Left Fork Road (Sycamore)
"A woman called 911 to report her parent's house had been broken into and both of her parents were dead, according to Sgt. Michael Baylous, spokesperson for the West Virginia State Police. She told the dispatcher both of them appeared to have been shot to death." - WSAZ TV
"Investigators say they have a strong lead, but are still investigating the case" - WSAZ-TV
"Tuesday, the couple was found dead in their living room at their home on Left Fork Road near Millstone by their daughter." - WTAP-TV
"She [daughter] told 9-1-1 dispatchers the home appeared to have been robbed." - WTAP-TV
"But police say right now the motive behind their murders is still unclear." - WTAP-TV
"We get a piece here and piece there and trying to put together what happened to these folks and why someone may have done it and possible suspects we do have persons of interest and were trying to locate those persons as well," says Cpl. F. L. Hammack, with the WV State Police." - WTAP-TV
"But they do say the crime does not appear to be random." - WTAP-TV
"He (Cpl. Hammack) could not say if there were signs of forced entry into the home. Nothing appeared to be missing from the home, but police haven't ruled out anything this early in the investigation." - Parkersburg News
"State police investigators were continuing to follow leads Tuesday night, including attempts to locate persons." - Parkersburg News
"Investigators say they have a strong lead, but are still investigating the case." - WSAZ-TV
Flanagan farm in remote, narrow valley along
Left Fork of Sycamore Creek, sparsely settled
"Cpl. J.B. Hunt and several other troopers from the Grantsville State Police detachment are conducting interviews with possible witnesses, Baylous said." - Charleston Daily Mail
"Cpl. F.L. Hammack, who is also working on the case, said the time of death has not yet been determined, but the couple was not killed on Tuesday. They died before then, he said." - Charleston Daily Mail
"We currently have a lot of resources and a lot of manpower that we're dispatching up to that area to try to solve this crime," Hammack said. - Charleston Daily Mail
"Troopers have several leads and have already managed to rule one suspect out, police said." - Charleston Daily Mail
"They've been conducting interviews all day and they're going to continue to conduct them until they figure this out," Baylous said. "I know Cpl. Hunt and the others will work tirelessly to solve this terrible crime." - Charleston Daily Mail
"The Hur-Herald, an online news site based in Calhoun County, reported the Flanagans had moved to the area from Ohio in 2001. The Web site said the couple had three children and that the daughter who found them is in her 20s." - Charleston Daily Mail.
"The West Virginia State Police in South Charleston told the Herald last night that public information regarding Calhoun's double murders yesterday has not been released.
However, investigators told WSAZ-TV they "have a strong lead." - Hur Herald
| 
