THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN CHARLESTON, W.VA. "GAZETTE" ON 9-20-00. ALL FACTS ARE NOT IN, BUT....
Stormy relationship ends in tragedy
Shooting victim had history of domestic violence
Wednesday September 20, 2000
By Tom Searls
STAFF WRITER
Neighbors said she did everything she could to legally force the man out of her life.
Tuesday afternoon, a bloody man lying near her home summoned a passing television cable inspector to the 469 Little Sandy Creek Road address. "The man was on the side of the road and he hollered for help: ‘Call 911,'" said Winifrede resident Ron Davis, a Charter Cable employee.
Davis spotted a woman standing near the man with what appeared to be a 9mm pistol in her hand. "She told me to get away because he's crazy," he said.
Davis took her advice and drove on down the Elk River area road, calling 911 with a cell phone. When he returned, an off-duty paramedic was leaning over Robert Isaac Murray, 43.
Murray was pronounced dead at 5 p.m. at General Division, CAMC, a hospital spokeswoman said.
He had left Kanawha County Magistrate Court following a 10 a.m. hearing Tuesday in which he pleaded guilty to violating a domestic protective order requested by his former girlfriend, Deborah S. Bird, with whom he had resided at 469 Little Sandy Creek Road.
Neighbors said court records showed the couple had problems that landed them in court. On Tuesday, Magistrate Jack Kinder sentenced Murray to 24 hours he had already spent in jail and ordered his release after fining him $250 and ordering him to pay court costs.
Murray apparently drove almost immediately to Bird's Elk River area residence where a confrontation occurred.
Davis said Bird told him Murray tried to attack her with a crowbar. State Police would not confirm that story Tuesday evening.
Trooper Jeff Phillips would only say investigators knew Bird "discharged a weapon" which struck Murray. The weapon, which he declined to identify, was a pistol seized by troopers.
Bird has not been charged with any crime. Tuesday night, State Police at South Charleston said Kanawha County prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges or possibly refer the incident to the next grand jury.
Police said Murray received multiple gunshot wounds. Davis said he appeared to have been shot in the back, something troopers could not immediately confirm.
"I've been told it's five gunshot wounds," said Bird's sister, Marlina Adams of Frame Road, said early Friday evening.
Later, she said her sister had been released by authorities and was with her and other family members. They were aware Murray had died.
Earlier in the day she said the shooting was the result of "a domestic violence situation."
It was not the first domestic violence situation at the single-story, white cinderblock house sitting along the edge of the thin road. "They've had trouble off and on, but it's been real bad in the last year or so," said adjacent neighbor Dempsey Campbell.
Murray had a pending domestic assault charge against him filed by Bird on March 26. She also filed for a protective order that day and Murray was arrested and jailed until June 19.
During his time out of jail, charges of felony wanton endangerment were brought against him. That criminal complaint alleged Murray pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at Bird and threatened to kill her several times over a 12-hour period.
But the charge was dismissed Aug. 22 because Bird did not appear in court for a probable cause hearing.
Campbell said the two had lived together for about seven years, though Bird has resided along Little Sandy Creek Road for years longer. Murray assaulted Bird previously, he said, usually when intoxicated.
"She's had to run for her life. She's had him up for domestic violence," said Campbell, who added he once had to care for Bird's horse for three months until she could return home after a domestic squabble.
Murray's brown-checked shirt, soaked in blood, was left lying next to a State Police cruiser outside the house Tuesday afternoon. Bird was in the car being interviewed when a school bus pulled up.
Troopers allowed the suspect, dressed in a green and white shirt, to emerge from the cruiser and hug her middle school-aged son, who stepped off the bus. Reporters could not hear what she told the 11-year-old before he walked away up the rural road with Campbell and she drove away with a trooper.
Adams said the boy, who is not Murray's son, was staying with her Tuesday.
Stormy relationship ends in tragedy
Shooting victim had history of domestic violence
Wednesday September 20, 2000
By Tom Searls
STAFF WRITER
Neighbors said she did everything she could to legally force the man out of her life.
Tuesday afternoon, a bloody man lying near her home summoned a passing television cable inspector to the 469 Little Sandy Creek Road address. "The man was on the side of the road and he hollered for help: ‘Call 911,'" said Winifrede resident Ron Davis, a Charter Cable employee.
Davis spotted a woman standing near the man with what appeared to be a 9mm pistol in her hand. "She told me to get away because he's crazy," he said.
Davis took her advice and drove on down the Elk River area road, calling 911 with a cell phone. When he returned, an off-duty paramedic was leaning over Robert Isaac Murray, 43.
Murray was pronounced dead at 5 p.m. at General Division, CAMC, a hospital spokeswoman said.
He had left Kanawha County Magistrate Court following a 10 a.m. hearing Tuesday in which he pleaded guilty to violating a domestic protective order requested by his former girlfriend, Deborah S. Bird, with whom he had resided at 469 Little Sandy Creek Road.
Neighbors said court records showed the couple had problems that landed them in court. On Tuesday, Magistrate Jack Kinder sentenced Murray to 24 hours he had already spent in jail and ordered his release after fining him $250 and ordering him to pay court costs.
Murray apparently drove almost immediately to Bird's Elk River area residence where a confrontation occurred.
Davis said Bird told him Murray tried to attack her with a crowbar. State Police would not confirm that story Tuesday evening.
Trooper Jeff Phillips would only say investigators knew Bird "discharged a weapon" which struck Murray. The weapon, which he declined to identify, was a pistol seized by troopers.
Bird has not been charged with any crime. Tuesday night, State Police at South Charleston said Kanawha County prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges or possibly refer the incident to the next grand jury.
Police said Murray received multiple gunshot wounds. Davis said he appeared to have been shot in the back, something troopers could not immediately confirm.
"I've been told it's five gunshot wounds," said Bird's sister, Marlina Adams of Frame Road, said early Friday evening.
Later, she said her sister had been released by authorities and was with her and other family members. They were aware Murray had died.
Earlier in the day she said the shooting was the result of "a domestic violence situation."
It was not the first domestic violence situation at the single-story, white cinderblock house sitting along the edge of the thin road. "They've had trouble off and on, but it's been real bad in the last year or so," said adjacent neighbor Dempsey Campbell.
Murray had a pending domestic assault charge against him filed by Bird on March 26. She also filed for a protective order that day and Murray was arrested and jailed until June 19.
During his time out of jail, charges of felony wanton endangerment were brought against him. That criminal complaint alleged Murray pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at Bird and threatened to kill her several times over a 12-hour period.
But the charge was dismissed Aug. 22 because Bird did not appear in court for a probable cause hearing.
Campbell said the two had lived together for about seven years, though Bird has resided along Little Sandy Creek Road for years longer. Murray assaulted Bird previously, he said, usually when intoxicated.
"She's had to run for her life. She's had him up for domestic violence," said Campbell, who added he once had to care for Bird's horse for three months until she could return home after a domestic squabble.
Murray's brown-checked shirt, soaked in blood, was left lying next to a State Police cruiser outside the house Tuesday afternoon. Bird was in the car being interviewed when a school bus pulled up.
Troopers allowed the suspect, dressed in a green and white shirt, to emerge from the cruiser and hug her middle school-aged son, who stepped off the bus. Reporters could not hear what she told the 11-year-old before he walked away up the rural road with Campbell and she drove away with a trooper.
Adams said the boy, who is not Murray's son, was staying with her Tuesday.