west virginia | My Crime Library

Shannon Overstreet Charged In Daughters Murder

Shannon Overstreet is an alleged killer from West Virginia who has been charged with the murder of his daughter Angel Overstreet who has been missing for over two years.

According to police reports Angel Overstreet was just three months old when she disappeared back in May 2021. Now police in West Virginia have enough evidence to charge Shannon Overstreet with murder, death of a child by a parent by child abuse, and concealment of a deceased human body. Police did not release what they have in terms of evidence

Shannon Overstreet was easy to find as he is serving a two to ten year sentence in a West Virginia prison for striking his mother in the head and signing her name to a check and cashing it

Shannon Overstreet News

A West Virginia prison inmate whose infant daughter has been missing for more than two years has been indicted on murder and other charges, authorities said.

A grand jury in Cabell County indicted Shannon Patrick Overstreet on charges of murder; death of a child by a parent by child abuse, and concealment of a deceased human body, Huntington police said Friday in a news release.

Without elaborating, the statement said investigators collected evidence indicating Overstreet was responsible for the death of Angele Nichole Overstreet and for concealing and disposing of her remains.

The girl was 3 months old when she last was seen in May 2021. Her disappearance led to an investigation involving the Huntington police department, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and state police and other agencies from West Virginia and Kentucky.

Overstreet is serving a sentence of two to 10 years at the Huttonsville Correctional Center after acknowledging that the state had enough evidence to convict him of malicious wounding and forgery related to striking his mother in the head and signing her name to a check and cashing it. These crimes happened the same month that his daughter last was seen, The Herald-Dispatch reported.

Police in May 2021 asked for the public’s help in locating the baby. West Virginia Child Protective Services reported her missing after checking with Overstreet regarding custody issues in Kentucky. Overstreet told them at the time he had given the girl to workers with the agency two weeks earlier, but investigators were unable to substantiate a custody exchange.

https://news.yahoo.com/west-virginia-prison-inmate-indicted-151515308.html

Shannon Overstreet More News

A Cabell County grand jury has indicted a man in connection with the death of his three-month-old daughter.

Shannon Patrick Overstreet is charged with death of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian or other persons by child abuse; murder; and concealment of a deceased human body.

Three-month-old Angel Nichole Overstreet was last seen on May 2, 2021. Huntington police searched for the little girl for months.

“We are very concerned for the safety and well-being of the child,” former Huntington Police Chief Ray Cornwell said not long after the little girl’s disappearance. “We are unable to determine her location, whereabouts or well-being, and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Police searched the home of Shannon Overstreet’s mother early in the investigation.

In June 2021, investigators were led to a remote pond on property Shannon Overstreet owned in Carter County, Kentucky.

According to the Friday new release from Huntington Police, investigators were able to collect evidence indicating Shannon Overstreet was responsible for his daughter’s death “as well as being responsible for concealing and disposing of her remains.”

Father indicted in connection with 2021 disappearance, death of 3-month-old daughter

Sammy Martz Kidnaps And Tortures Woman In West Virginia

Sammy Martz is a man from West Virginia who allegedly kidnapped and tortured a woman using a butane torch. According to police reports officers were called to a residence in Philippi, West Virginia and found a woman hiding underneath a porch. The woman told authorities that Sammy Martz had threatened to kill her and burned her several times with a butane torch while refusing to allow her to leave.

Sammy Martz who would admit to police that he had burned the victim on several occasions was arrested and charged with kidnapping. Police would also find a large amount of meth in the home. To be honest the only real reason I included this post on My Crime Library was for the mugshot

Sammy Martz More News

A man in West Virginia is under arrest after he was accused of holding a woman against her will for hours.

Sammy Joe Martz, 47, held that victim for four to five hours and “tortured” her during that time, according to the Philippi Police Department.

Details on the circumstances have not been released, but police said more charges against Martz are expected to be filed as the investigation continues.

Officers also said they found a “substantial” amount of methamphetamine in his home

Martz is charged with kidnapping and he’s being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail without bond.

According to WVNews.com, Martz was arrested in 2018 after police said he tried to start a fire inside a vacant car wash.

Police discovered what was happening when they saw smoke coming out of the building through a “busted” window.

https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/sammy-joe-martz-charged-kidnapping-accused-holding-woman-against-will-torture-methamphetamine-hours-west-virginia

Gavin Smith Teen Killer Gets Life For 4 Murders

Gavin Smith was a sixteen year old teen killer from West Virginia who would execute four members of his family. According to court documents Gavin Smith would fatally shoot four family members in the head. Now Gavin Smith has learned that he received the maximum penalty for a juvenile which is to spend the rest of his life in prison. Gavin Smith will be eligible for parole one day many decades in the future however it is unlikely he will ever step out of prison again.

Gavin Smith More News

An Elkview teenager who shot and killed four members of his family in December 2020 was sentenced on Tuesday to the maximum time in prison for the crimes.

Gavin Smith, 18, was found guilty during a trial in December of first-degree murder for the deaths of his stepfather, Daniel Dale Long, 37, mother, Risa Mae Saunders, 39, and brother, Jameson Long, 3. He was found guilty of second-degree murder for the shooting death of his other brother, Gage Ripley, 12.

The family was found dead in their Elkview home on Dec. 13, 2020. Investigators determined the shootings took place four days prior to their bodies being found by a concerned family member who hadn’t heard from them.

All of the victims were shot in the head at close range, according to testimony during the trial.

Smith’s attorney, John Sullivan, asked Judge Kenneth Ballard to sentence Smith to the Anthony Center for youthful offenders.

“There’s more to him than the offense he committed,” Sullivan said, calling the teenager a “thoughtful” and “intelligent” young man.

“He’s been locked up since he was 16 and basically would be growing up in the prison system,” Sullivan said.

Smith spoke briefly when it was his turn to address the court and said he wanted to apologize for his actions.

“I do regret this and if I could I would take it back because it is one of my deepest regrets,” Smith told the judge. “I am begging you, that if you do grant this alternative sentence, you won’t have an issue.”

Smith paused and spoke quietly to his attorneys before saying, “There’s days that I would do anything to take it back.”

Daniel Long’s parents, who adopted him when he was 14-months-old, told the court that they wanted the harshest punishment allowable under the law for Smith.

They both spoke how losing their only son and grandchildren has torn their lives apart.

“I never expected my life to be in such turmoil at this stage in my life,” Long’s father said.

Both parents also spoke particularly at how heinous Smith’s actions were that took his 3-year-old brother’s life, who they said loved Gavin “unconditionally.”

“I cannot comprehend how he could have taken his brother’s life,” Long’s mother said. “Just because he was 16 at the time, doesn’t make a difference. He still took lives.”

Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney JC MacCallum asked Ballard to sentence Smith to the maximum on each count and to run the sentences consecutively.

MacCallum said Smith has continuously blamed others for his actions, including his girlfriend at the time, Rebecca Walker, pressuring him to kill his family so they could be together while on a video call with him during the shootings.

“This was a heinous crime, you murdered your entire family in cold blood,” Ballard said. “Your actions can only be described as an act of pure evil.”

Ballard sentenced Smith to three life sentences, with mercy, for the first-degree murder convictions, 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, and 10 years for use or presentment of a firearm. Ballard said the only reason he was granting mercy was because state law mandates that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life in prison with no mercy.

https://dayton247now.com/news/nation-world/teenager-who-murdered-four-family-members-sentenced-to-the-maximum

Thomas Cunningham and Ciera Gillespie Charged In 2 Murders

Thomas Cunningham and Ciera Gillespie are from West Virginia who have been charged in killing both of their toddlers. According to police reports Thomas Cunningham would violently shake their one and two year old son that resulted in their deaths with the doctor calling it the worst case of shaken baby syndrome he had ever seen. Thomas Cunningham has been charged with one count of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, and Ciera Gillespie has been charged with one count each of child neglect resulting in death and child neglect creating risk of serious injury or death with more charges pending after the death of the second child

.Both children were brought to the hospital in late November with the two year old being pronounced dead at the scene and the one year old would be in critical condition until he passed this last weekend. Ciera Gillespie reportedly arrived home and found one of the children in distress and when she called an ambulance Thomas Cunningham would come out of the home saying there was something wrong with the second child as well

Thomas Cunningham and Ciera Gillespie More News

A 1-year-old West Virginia boy has died weeks after his 2-year-old brother succumbed to injuries in what a doctor said appeared to be cases of shaken baby syndrome, according to officials.

Upshur County Sheriff Virgil Miller said additional charges are expected to be brought against Ciera Gillespie, 25, and Thomas Cunningham, 27, who were arrested in connection to the case.

Stephanie Warner, the grandmother of the two children, confirmed to WDTV that the 1-year-old boy had passed over the weekend, calling what happened “horrible” and “unspeakable.”

According to a criminal complaint, Gillespie told police she left to go to the store Nov. 28 and left three children, the two boys and a 6-year-old, with Cunningham.

Gillespie told authorities she got a call from Cunningham as she was pulling into the driveway that something was wrong with the 2-year-old. According to the complaint, Gillespie said she entered the home and Cunningham handed her the child, who was reportedly limp with “blood coming from his mouth and nose.”

Deputies said Cunningham called 911 and an ambulance responded. Gillespie told deputies that as she and the ambulance were leaving the home, Cunningham ran out with the 1-year-old, saying “there was something wrong with this baby also.”

The 2-year-old was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to authorities.

The report stated deputies spoke with a doctor who said the 2-year-old’s manner of death was consistent with shaken baby syndrome and that “the retinal injuries were the worst he had seen in 20 years.” He also told deputies the injuries to the 1-year-old were “significant” and also a result of shaken baby syndrome, adding that “would have to be a violent trauma with immediate incapacitation

In a separate statement from the West Virginia State Police on Dec. 1, authorities said Gillespie believed Cunningham was under the influence of a controlled substance by the way he was acting when she left the children in his care. Cunningham reportedly told authorities on Saturday that he had used a Percocet.

Cunningham was arrested by the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office and previously charged with child abuse resulting in injury and child abuse resulting in death. Gillespie was charged with child neglect resulting in serious bodily injury and child neglect resulting in death in connection to the case.

Poling – St. Clair Funeral Home is covering the cost of the children’s’ funerals. The family set up a GoFundMe to help the boys’ father and sister.

https://www.kptv.com/2022/12/12/graphic-second-child-dies-suspected-shaken-baby-syndrome-case-wva/

Gavin Smith Guilty Of 4 Murders

Gavin Smith was a sixteen year old from West Virginia when he would murder four members of his family. According to court documents Gavin Smith would fatally shoot Risa Mae Saunders, 39, Daniel Dale Long, 37, Gage Ripley, 12, and Jameson Long, 3,. The bodies would be discovered in the Elkview home days later. Gavin Smith would be arrested and charged with four counts of murder. The jury would find this teen killer guilty of three counts of first degree murder and one count of second degree murder.

Apparently Gavin Smith would tell police that he felt overwhelmed from being home schooled and that his parents kept padlocks on the fridge and doors to the home. Rebecca Lynn Walker would plead guilty to four counts of accessory after the fact and would be sentenced to ten years in prison. Gavin Smith will be sentenced at a later date

Gavin Smith More News

A teenager was convicted Thursday after a four-day trial in the deaths of his mother, stepfather, and two younger siblings.

Gavin Smith was found guilty on all charges which included three counts of first-degree murder, one county of second-degree murder and one count of using a firearm during the commission of a felony.

In December 2020, Smith’s family members were found dead by another relative at a home on Cemetery Hill Drive in Elkview, and Smith was later charged with shooting and killing them

Smith was only 16 years old at the time of the shootings.

The victims were later identified as Daniel Dale Long, 37, Risa Mae Saunders, 39, Gage Ripley, 12, and Jameson Long, 3.

According to a Kanawha County Circuit Court order, after the murders Smith was found hiding behind a dresser in a third-floor room of a home along River Haven Road in Clendenin.

Rebecca Lynn Walker, 17, who was in a relationship with Smith at the time of the murders took a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to four counts of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.

Smith will be sentenced at 9 a.m. Jan. 17.

https://www.wsaz.com/2022/12/08/teen-convicted-murdering-4-family-members/

Gavin Smith Other News

A teen accused of an Elkview quadruple murder was found guilty in Kanawha County Court on Thursday.

Gavin Smith was found guilty on all five charges: Three counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder, and one count of using a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Smith was indicted in June for allegedly killing his mother, stepfather and two brothers in December of 2020. He was 16 at the time.

The bodies of four people, two adults, and two children were found inside a home on Cemetery Hill Drive in Elkview on Dec. 13, 2020. According to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, autopsies revealed that the family had been shot with a firearm.

Deputies later identified the victims as Daniel Dale Long, 37, Risa Mae Saunders, 39, Gage Ripley, 12, and Jameson Long, 3, all of Elkview.

Last year, Rebecca Walker, who was 17 at the time of the murders, pleaded guilty as an adult to four counts of “accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.” She was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September.

https://www.wboy.com/news/crime/west-virginia-teen-found-guilty-in-quadruple-murder-case/