| A detective testified in Cabell County Thursday that a man told his 94-year grandfather he was going to kill him because the family was wasting too many resources on him and then beat him to death while videoing it on his iPad.
The preliminary hearing for Seth Ellis Donald, 36, was held in Cabell County Magistrate Court. Donald is accused of killing Maurice Sill, whose body was found in 2019 in the woods on the Woodlands Retirement Home property.
Magistrate Dan Ferguson said there was enough probable cause and moved the case to a grand jury.
Huntington police responded on June 6, 2019, to the Woodlands Retirement Home after receiving a call about an unattended death. The call to 911 was made by Donald.
During the hearing, Huntington Police Department Sgt. Jason Davis testified that Donald directed them to the woods, where he said that he had taken his grandfather to watch nature and claimed there was a medical incident that caused him to fall face first, causing some damage to his nose.
At the time, the injuries were consistent, and authorities released Sill's body to be buried.
The detective said police were called back in January 2020 by a family member, who said Sill's death was questionable. On July 25, 2020, Huntington police were contacted by Beverly Hills, Calif., police who said Donald wanted to turn himself in.
Davis said Donald volunteered an iPad to show a video of the alleged crime.
The video was not shown in magistrate court Thursday, but the detective described what it shows. Davis said the footage starts out with Donald and his grandfather on a bench. At one point, Donald tells his grandfather that he has made the decision to end his grandfather's life, the detective said.
Davis said Sill can be seen and heard in the video pleading for his life. Donald tells his grandfather that the family was wasting resources on him. Sill tells Donald that he was "scaring the hell out of him" and when he tries to stand up, the camera falls.
The detective said a struggle can be heard on the video and Sill can be heard saying, âHelp, help, don't kill me.â Davis said Donald replies: âLet it come. Let it come. It's OK, Grandpa. It's time.â
Video shows a nine-minute struggle, and the two men can be seen rolling over the camera and a hand goes over Sillâs face, Davis said.
Once Donald picks the camera up, he shows his face then sets it back down. Six minutes pass and then Donald picks the camera back up to show Sill on the ground with his hand covering his face and Sill's legs wrapped around his own body, the detective said.
The suspect looks back at the camera and the camera goes off.
Davis said Donald told police he sent the video to friends and family members. Huntington police said they were contacted by a family member who got the video from Dropbox.
The detective said Donald said he waited to turn himself in until his "presentation was complete." It was a three-part presentation: an introduction for the general public, an introduction for the more "academic" audience and then a video explaining why he killed his grandfather and then one called the crime with the full video he took that day.
Davis said Donald provided written and recorded statements in which he said he murdered his grandfather. The detective said he also apologized to police for lying.
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