| It is not known whether a Calhoun juvenile, who is a suspect related to a double murder case, may be tried as an
adult.
Calhoun County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Minney said he is vigorously working on the murder case of Ward Groves,
69, and his ex-wife Mary Hicks, 60, who were brutally slain by shotgun blasts last May.
The 16-year-old juvenile, still being held in a detention center, has been identified as Ronnie Rush. Rush reportedly
appeared before Judge Tom Evans in a juvenile hearing this past week.
Rush's case could be presented to a Calhoun Grand Jury in January.
The court protects information regarding juveniles, with no official information being released. Statements pertaining to the
case were revealed in a hearing regarding the status of Bobby Ray Shamblin of Stumptown.
Shamblin was initially charged with the crime. He was arrested on two counts of first degree murder and one count of
burglary, on information provided by Rush.
Later in a bond hearing, State Police were unable to present any concrete evidence to place Shamblin at the murder scene
or link him with the murders. He was released from Central Regional Jail on bond. Former prosecutor Tony Morgan
indicated there was a lack of evidence at that time, which would have allowed an indictment against Shamblin.
It is unknown if new evidence exists from the State Police crime lab that could add to the case.
Rush reportedly gave a statement he witnessed the murders. He said he was sleeping upstairs in the Groves house when
Shamblin entered the residence, brandished a knife and threatened his life if he told about what he was going to do.
Rush claimed Shamblin escorted him downstairs at knife point and shot both Ward Groves and Mary Hicks while they
were sleeping in their beds. He further stated that Shamblin then forced him to carry items from the residence to an
abandoned truck belonging to Mr. Rush which was parked in the Grove's driveway.
Rush then claimed that he and Shamblin drove to an unknown location on Stumptown Road and threw the two shotguns
into Steer Creek.
Neighbors said Groves had come into a considerable sum of money after his brother died about a month before his murder.
He reportedly bought more than one piece of property and at least one new vehicle.
It was later reported that more than one cache of cash was discovered inside vehicles or on property connected to
Rush.
After the murder, Rush was reportedly charged with one count of accessory before the fact and one count of accessory
after the fact.
Groves had lived in the Lockney-Stumptown area for several years and was known as the local trader.
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