A man killed himself at Logan Regional Medical Center Wednesday, police say.

The 34-year-old Logan man walked into Logan Regional Medical Center and killed himself in a bathroom stall at about 10 a.m., according to Sgt. Andy Perdue of the State Police. The man was not an employee, visitor or patient.

Perdue was working on notifying family Wednesday morning.

Matthew "Bo" Williams, the newly-elected sheriff of Roane County, resigned from his post while also admitting in court Wednesday to stealing methamphetamine from an evidence locker at the Spencer Police Department.

Williams, who was with the Spencer Police Department before winning the election, pleaded guilty to a charge of entering without breaking, a felony, said Josh Downey, Roane County prosecuting attorney.

The charge carries a possible sentence of one to 10 years in jail, Downey said.

Williams' case is being prosecuted by Pat Lefebure, of the Wood County Prosecutor's Office, Downey said. Lefebure was appointed because of Downey's conflict of interest, he said. Downey is related to Williams by marriage, he told the Gazette-Mail.

Williams had been charged with grand larceny for stealing more than $1,000 in evidence, including methamphetamine.

Downey had also filed an emergency petition against Williams to keep him from physically entering the sheriff's office.

That petition was dismissed because as a part of Williams' bond, he is no longer allowed to be a police officer or enter the office, Downey said.

Downey said the Roane County Commission plans to meet Friday to formally accept Williams' resignation and appoint an interim sheriff.

An email to commission president President Melissa O'Brien and a call to commissioner Randy Whited went unanswered Wednesday.

Williams also is giving up his credentials to be a police officer again, Downey said.

"A convicted felon is not allowed to carry a firearm either," he said.

Williams was elected to serve as sheriff Nov. 8. He was placed on leave from the Spencer Police Department on Nov. 25 and resigned from the department on Dec. 12.

The county commission will appoint a new permanent sheriff within 30 days, Downey said. The new sheriff will be in office until the 2018 election cycle, he said.

Earlier this month the commission took a step toward removing Williams from office, approving a resolution stating that any county officer can be removed for incompetence, including addiction to narcotics.

The resolution also noted that on Nov. 25, Williams admitted to removing methamphetamine from the Spencer Police Department and having a year-and-a-half-long addiction to methamphetamine.

Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.

With his trial on federal charges scheduled for June, an award-winning Marshall University professor remains on the faculty and is teaching engineering classes this semester.

Andrew P. Nichols, 38, was indicted last year on charges that he took part in a kickback scheme with former West Virginia Division of Highways engineers. Federal prosecutors allege the men illegally diverted $1.5 million worth of DOH projects to Dennis Corp, a South Carolina engineering consulting firm. Nichols worked for Dennis Corp. as a traffic consultant from 2006 to 2015, according to his online resume. He has taught at Marshall since 2007.

Nichols, who's being paid $149,000 a year at Marshall, is teaching "Introduction to computer-aided design" and "Engineering co-op preparation" this semester, according to the university's schedule of courses.

"As with anyone indicted, he has the right to due process and is presumed innocent until proven guilty," said Ginny Painter, a Marshall spokeswoman. "The outcome of the legal process will determine what, if any, employee disciplinary action will be pursued."

Nichols was indicted in November on charges of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and money laundering, along with obstructing justice and making false statements to U.S. Internal Revenue Service agents about his involvement in the alleged kickback scheme.

Nichols formerly served as manager of the West Virginia division of Dennis Corp., while working as a senior director of Marshall's Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute. The indictment alleges that he managed the financial relationships of his co-conspirators, making sure they were paid.

Nichols has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is scheduled to start June 20.

"He is innocent until proven guilty, and we fully expect him to be exonerated," said Mike Frazier, a Huntington lawyer who is representing Nichols.

Last year, Nichols was a finalist for the Professor of the Year Award given by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia. Marshall previously gave Nichols the Charles E. Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award. Nichols delivered the winter commencement address at Marshall's graduation in December 2015.

Also charged in the alleged "pay-for-play" scheme were two former DOH engineers - Bruce E. Kenney III and James Travis Miller - along and with Mark R. Whitt, president of Bayliss & Ramey, a Putnam County contracting firm. DOH engineers received $200,000 in kickbacks between 2008 and 2013, according to the charges.

Kenney, Miller and Whitt were charged by information. An information is similar to an indictment, but cannot be filed without a defendant's consent. It is sometimes indicative of the defendant's guilt.

Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4869 or follow @ericeyre on Twitter.

A 71-year-old man who told police he shot another man in St. Albans on Tuesday in self defense was charged about three years ago in Kanawha County with a misdemeanor offense.

That's the only charge Lemuel Rogers has been accused of in Kanawha, according to court records, and it was eventually dismissed.

Rogers hasn't been charged by police in Tuesday's shooting of Jeremy Rucker, 27.

Rucker was shot at about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday at 421 Moses St., which is Rogers' home.

Rogers told Kanawha deputies he shot Rucker to defend himself after Rucker punched him.

Kanawha sheriff's Detective Sean Snuffer said Wednesday that deputies still were investigating but, he added, "the shooting appears to be self defense."

"We let the prosecutor determine that," he said, however.

In 2014, Rogers was charged with "shooting within 500 feet of a dwelling," according to documents in Kanawha Magistrate Court.

A criminal complaint says Rogers had been upset with his tenants, "who were living behind his residence in his outbuilding."

"Lemuel stated [his tenants] won't work and stay on drugs all the time," the complaint states.

Rogers had asked the tenants to move the day of the incident but they refused, police wrote. Rogers told police he noticed later in the day that the air conditioning unit in his outbuilding was running, but that none of the renters were there.

"So he got angry and got his shotgun and shot the air conditioner out of the window," the complaint states.

The misdemeanor charge was dismissed by prosecutors.

Rucker has faced multiple charges in Kanawha.

Rogers had allowed Rucker and his wife, who are homeless, to shower at his house, according to police. That's what Rucker was doing Tuesday when the two men began arguing.

According to court records, Rucker was charged with non-aggravated robbery, a felony, in 2013.

Prosecutors, though, never presented it to a grand jury and the charge was dismissed.

He also has faced misdemeanor charges in Kanawha, such as fleeing and domestic battery.

Rucker was shot in the abdomen Tuesday, Snuffer said. Police didn't know his condition Wednesday afternoon, but Tuesday said his injuries were not life threatening.

Detectives will present a report on the incident to Kanawha Prosecuting Attorney Charles Miller.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a New York man has been sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison for transporting a minor from West Virginia to Virginia for sex.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Carol Casto said 27-year-old Ian Michael Cramer, of Amherst, New York, was sentenced Wednesday. Cramer had previously pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Cramer acknowledged that he used an app on his cellphone to persuade a 15-year-old from Cross Lanes, West Virginia, to engage in sexual activity in September 2015.

Cramer drove from Richmond, Virginia, where he was living, to Cross Lanes and picked up the minor. He then drove back to his apartment in Richmond, where they had sex.

Law enforcement rescued the minor from Cramer's apartment.

A Charleston man is facing felony charges after allegedly stabbing another man on the city's West Side on Thursday.

Dale Lee McCauley, 42, was arrested on Thursday on malicious wounding charges after he stabbed Maurice Brooks in the upper left side of the torso with the a knife in the 900 block of 6th Street, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

The incident occurred at approximately 2 a.m. at McCauley's home, according to the complaint.

McCauley was booked into South Central Regional Jail just after 4 a.m. His bail has been set at $25,000.

One man was killed in a shooting in Clay County this morning, and police are searching for the man who allegedly shot him.

William Christopher Belknap, 38, was found dead of a gunshot wound around 8:40 a.m., after Clay County sheriff's deputies and State Police responded to a 911 call from residents of a trailer at 986 Blue Knob Road in Maysel.

Craig Douglas Holcomb, 41, of Maysel, faces seven counts of wanton endangerment as a result of the call that came from the seven residents of the trailer, said State Police First Sgt. Okey Starsick.

Police were looking Thursday afternoon for Holcomb, who is the only suspect at this time, Starsick said. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds, with dark hair and brown eyes.

Holcomb is considered armed and dangerous, police said, and people should not approach him. Instead, they should call 911 or State Police at 304-286-3185

The Freedom From Religion Foundation and a member of the Wisconsin-based nonprofit who's a parent of a student at a public Mercer County elementary school filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking to declare unconstitutional a Bible classes program in Mercer's public school system.

The lawsuit - filed against the Mercer school board and Mercer schools Superintendent Deborah Akers in the Bluefield Division of the federal court system's Southern District of West Virginia - alleges the "Bible in the Schools" program is active in 15 elementary schools, one intermediate school and three middle schools, serving about 4,000 students.

The lawsuit alleges the classes are held for half an hour a week in elementary schools and 45 minutes a week in middle schools, during the regular school day. While the lawsuit states that the school system calls the classes "voluntary," it alleges that the "overwhelming majority of students participate" and that "upon information and belief, students at many schools have not been receiving alternative instruction."

"Mercer County Schools provides written lessons to all itinerant Bible teachers," the lawsuit states. "Per Mercer County Schools policy, these lessons must be followed as given except for small wording changes and content revisions that have been approved at least two weeks before the lesson is taught."

The lawsuit alleges the bible classes include "Creationism instruction" that involves "having students imagine that human beings and dinosaurs existed at the same time." It quotes one lesson as saying "So picture Adam being able to crawl up on the back of dinosaur! He and Eve could have their own personal water slide! Wouldn't that be so wild!"

The parent, only identified as "Jane Doe," said in the lawsuit that she's an atheist who is suing individually and on behalf of her daughter, called "Jamie Doe" in the document. Jane Doe said in the document that she wishes to raise Jamie Doe, who is in kindergarten, "without religion."

The lawsuit says Jane Doe wishes for her daughter, when she enters the first grade, to not have to participate and also to not "be ostracized by other students or staff" for not participating.

"Jamie will either be forced to attend Bible indoctrination classes against the wishes and conscience of Jane Doe, or Jamie will be the only or one of only a few children who do not participate," the lawsuit says. "Jamie will therefore be made conspicuous by absence, and essentially be identified as a non-Christian or nonbeliever, subjecting Jamie to the risk of ostracism from peers and even school staff."

"This program advances and endorses one religion, improperly entangles public schools in religious affairs, and violates the personal consciences of nonreligious and non-Christian parents and students," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit asks a judge to declare that the program violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article III of the West Virginia Constitution. It also asks a judge to prohibit the school board and its employees from "organizing, administering, or otherwise endorsing Bible classes," and asks for payment for nominal damages and legal costs.

Mercer has provided Bible classes in its public schools since 1939, said Teresa Russell, a data and information specialist with the school system who answered questions on behalf of the school system Thursday.

The lawsuit alleges that up until 1985 the classes "were designed, financed, administered, and staffed by a small group of Mercer citizens unaffiliated with Mercer County Schools," but after parents complained to the state Department of Education that year, the Mercer school board began administering the program.

"The Mercer County Board of Education has taken on all responsibilities for the program except financing," the lawsuit states, saying the money is provided by a separate nonprofit.

Russell said Thursday that "data and/or information has not yet been compiled at the central office level" to answer some of the Gazette-Mail's questions Thursday, including whether the school system actually writes the lessons and what children are supposed to learn regarding "harmonizing the Matthew and Luke accounts of the birth of Jesus" and "harmonizing the four gospel accounts of the last days of Jesus" - learning objectives that the suit alleges the classes have.

Russell said the school system didn't see the lawsuit until the Gazette-Mail emailed it to her late Thursday afternoon, and said the school system still hasn't received official notice of it.

She said the courses are voluntary, that other elective or regular courses are provided at the same time, and that "we supervise the program and the classes." She said principals are responsible for scheduling.

Reach Ryan Quinn at ryan.quinn@wvgazettemail.com, facebook.com/ryanedwinquinn, 304-348-1254 or follow @RyanEQuinn on Twitter.

PRINCETON, W.Va. (AP) - A Bluefield man has pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder with a recommendation of mercy in the 2014 shooting death of his estranged wife.

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports 27-year-old Michael Eugene Neel entered his guilty plea Thursday. Neel also pleaded guilty to a charge of attempt to commit first-degree murder.

Neel is accused of killing 20-year-old Kayla Neel and shooting her friend Dakota Walls while they were sitting in a truck in December 2014. A judge declared a mistrial in August after jurors were deadlocked on murder and attempted murder charges. Michael Neel said the shooting was accidental.

As part of the plea agreement the state agreed to a recommendation of mercy, meaning Neel could be eligible for parole within 15 years.

Judge William Sadler set a sentencing date in the case for March 13.

The man who allegedly shot and killed a man in Clay County Thursday morning now is in custody.

State Police found Craig Douglas Holcomb, 41, of Maysel, in a Clay County home Friday morning after a day of searching and arrested him, according to State Police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous. Holcomb had broken into the home to get warm, Baylous said.

Holcomb faces seven counts of wanton endangerment. It wasn't immediately clear if, or when, those charges would be upgraded.

The victim of the shooting, William Christopher Belknap, 38, was found dead that morning after Clay County sheriff's deputies and State Police responded to a 911 call from Maysel residents.

The Roane County Commission has named an interim sheriff to fill the vacancy left by recently elected Matthew "Bo" Williams, who resigned earlier this week after admitting he stole methamphetamine from an evidence locker at the Spencer Police Department while he worked there.

According to media reports, commissioners on Friday accepted Williams' resignation and named Chief Deputy Todd Cole to serve as sheriff in the interim.

Cole previously served as Roane County sheriff.

Williams was a Spencer police officer before winning the election. The Gazette-Mail previously reported that he pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of entering without breaking, a felony, said Roane Prosecuting Attorney Josh Downey. He could face a possible sentence of one to 10 years in jail.

Messages to Commission President Melissa O'Brien were not answered.

Williams was elected to serve as sheriff on Nov. 8 and was placed on leave from the Spencer Police Department on Nov. 25. He resigned on Dec. 12.

Commission will appoint a permanent sheriff within 30 days. That sheriff will serve until the 2018 election cycle, officials said.

Commissioners approved a resolution earlier this month stating that any county officer can be removed for incompetence, including narcotic addiction. That resolution mentioned Williams by name, noting that on Nov. 25 he admitted he took meth from the police department and that he had a year-and-a-half-long addiction to meth.

The parents of a toddler face charges after the child was found walking in the roadway in Jefferson Saturday, according to a release from the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office.

Around noon, Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority medics and Kanawha County deputies responded to calls of a toddler wearing only a diaper in the roadway near 5800 MacCorkle Avenue, the release says.

The toddler, a 23-month-old girl, was not injured.

The parents, Tammie L. Gibson, 25, and Robert R. Hayes, 32, were arrested and charged with neglect creating risk of serious bodily injury. Both were processed at the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office and transported to the South Central Regional Jail.

The following crimes were reported to the Charleston Police Department between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19:

East District:

Washington Street West 1300 block, petit larceny, Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m.

Charleston Town Center, petit larceny, Jan. 13, 1:46 p.m.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Jan. 14, noon.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Jan. 14, 3:56 p.m.

Beauregard Street 200 block, grand larceny auto, Jan. 14, 9 p.m.

Charleston Town Center, shoplifting, Jan. 15, 5:30 p.m.

Charleston Town Center, petit larceny, Jan. 15, 6:10 p.m.

Hansford Street 1300 block, grand larceny auto, Jan. 16, 12:02 a.m.

Hansford Street 1300 block, breaking and entering, Jan. 16, 12:02 a.m.

Washington Street East 1500 block, burglary, Jan. 16, 3 p.m.

Washington Street East 1300 block, shoplifting, Jan. 16, 8:51 p.m.

Brooks Street 400 block, strangulation, Jan. 17, 4:07 a.m.

Piedmont Road 300 block, shoplifting, Jan. 17, 1:50 p.m.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Jan. 17, 5:45 p.m.

Lee Street East 900 block, robbery, Jan. 18, 1 p.m.

South District:

South Park Road 600 block, domestic battery, Jan. 12, 8 a.m.

Leslie Road 900 block, burglary, Jan. 12, 1:03 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 6500 block, shoplifting, Jan. 12, 5:50 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 3800 block, shoplifting, Jan. 13, 9:15 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5700 block, shoplifting, Jan. 13, 3 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 3200 block, grand larceny, Jan. 13, 3 p.m.

RHL Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, Jan. 13, 5:52 p.m.

Lancaster Avenue 5300 block, breaking and entering, Jan. 13, 10 p.m.

Alex Lane 100 block, breaking and entering, Jan. 14, 1:30 a.m.

Roosevelt Avenue 6600 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 14, 11 p.m.

Chesterfield Avenue 5200 block, grand larceny auto, Jan. 15, 5 a.m.

Stone Road 1200 block, burglary, Jan. 15, 11 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 6300 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 15, noon.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 3500 block, petit larceny, Jan. 16, 6 p.m.

Oakwood Road 200 block, grand larceny auto, Jan. 16, 6 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5700 block, shoplifting, Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m.

Dorchester Road 30 block, breaking and entering, Jan. 17, 12:01 a.m.

Chesterfield Avenue 5000 block, petit larceny, Jan. 17, 3:20 p.m.

RHL Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, Jan. 17, 8:40 p.m.

Daverton Road 700 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 18, 3:30 a.m.

Dorchester Road 1500 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 18, 4 p.m.

Cross Terrace Boulevard 100 block, shoplifting, Jan. 18, 7:35 a.m.

Cross Terrace Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, Jan. 18, 12:45 p.m.

West District:

Park Avenue 600 block, robbery, Jan. 12, 2 a.m.

Bigley Avenue 1000 block, petit larceny, Jan. 12, 9:45 a.m.

Washington Street West 400 block, shoplifting, Jan. 12, 11:21 a.m.

Kanawha Boulevard 1500 block, breaking and entering, Jan. 12, 5:30 p.m.

Kanawha Boulevard 1400 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 13, 4:30 a.m.

Temple Street 1000 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 13, 9:15 a.m.

Frame Street 1600 block, burglary, Jan. 13, 9:15 a.m.

Randolph Street 300 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 13, 9:23 a.m.

Camden Drive 1100 block, child neglect, Jan. 13, 1:52 p.m.

Livingston Avenue 1500 block, grand larceny auto, Jan. 13, 9 p.m.

7th Avenue 2300 block, grand larceny, Jan. 14, midnight.

Valley Road 1000 block, burglary, Jan. 14, 4 a.m.

Washington Street West 2400 block, shoplifting, Jan. 14, 4:50 p.m.

Madison Street 700 block, burglary, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.

Garvin Avenue 1200 block, burglary, Jan. 15, 3 a.m.

3rd Avenue 1400 block, strangulation, Jan. 15, 3:15 a.m.

Washington Street West 400 block, shoplifting, Jan. 15, 2 p.m.

Washington Street West 800 block, petit larceny, Jan. 16, 11:04 a.m.

4th Avenue 1900 block, petit larceny, Jan. 16, 11:15 p.m.

Glenwood Avenue/7th Street, Wanton endangerment, Jan. 17, 5:10 a.m.

Stuart Street 1300 block, grand larceny auto, Jan. 17, 5:25 a.m.

Woodward Drive 900 block, child neglect, Jan. 17, 8 a.m.

Main Street 800 block, petit larceny, Jan. 17, noon.

29th Street West 200 block, petit larceny, Jan. 17, 4:30 p.m.

5th Avenue 2600 block, breaking and entering auto, Jan. 18, 8:50 a.m.

Bigley Avenue 1500 block, assault, Jan. 18, 5:50 p.m.

Marriages

The following people filed for marriage licenses in Kanawha County between Jan. 12 and 19, 2017:

Terrence Peter Donaghey, 58, and Isaias Richie Rivera, 52, both of Elkview.

Charles Adam Packard, 36, and Courtney Dawn Dawkins, 30, both of Charleston.

Abigail Layne Sciacca, 35, and Melissa Dawn Martin, 33, both of St. Albans.

Darrell Edward Johnson, 41, and Carrie Ann Samuels, 32, both of St. Albans.

James Arley Hackett, 22, and Cierra Dawn Reed, 21, both of South Charleston.

Gregory Patton Reeves, 29, and Danielle Marie Southworth, 22, both of South Charleston.

Damon Allen Lawrence, 21, and Lauren Danielle Powell, 19, both of Nitro.

Joshua Hal Hodges, 38, and Yvonne Lynn Phillips, 34, both of Cross Lanes.

John William Byrd, 74, and Gail Louise Tucker, 67, both of Charleston.

Michael Wayne Stump, 45, and Alissa Dawn Goff, 36, both of Charleston.

Steve Allen Kelley, 31, and Angela Rebecca Teare, 33, both of Charleston.

Blake Addison Brooks, 25, and Emilee Gayle Quintrell, 25, both of Charleston.

Divorces

The following people filed for divorce in Kanawha County between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, 2017:

Logan Allen Mitchem from Kassie Nichole Rogers

Betsy Perrell Shaak from John Robert Shaak

Belinda Susan Thompson from Steven Alan Thompson

Richard Lee Light from Janie Lynn Light

Quinell Harris from Brynnae Harris

Terry D. Hunt from Waylon D. Hunt

Russell Thomas Epperley from Carol Jean Epperley

Kristina Dawn Litton from Larry Franklin Goodwin Jr.

Carla Lambert from Homer Lambert

Property transfers

The following property transfers of $75,000 or more were recorded in Kanawha County between Jan. 12 and 19, 2017:

Eric W. and Rebecca O. Tyree to Peter and Bianca Williams. Lot, Washington District, $419,000.

Carla J. Keene to Norma J. Jarrett. Lots, Union District, $97,500.

Brandon and Jessica Keen to Joseph D. and Ashley D. Caudill. Lot, Charleston, $108,000.

Christopher A. and Erin N. McGhee to Christopher S. Workman. Lot, Union District, $107,750.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to Stephanie D. Harper. Lot, Malden District, $84,510.64.

Jonathan and Amanda A. Roop to Shawn A. Smith. Lot, Malden District, $143,000.

First Century Bank Inc. to Hannah Jacoba Jordan. Lot, Jefferson District, $151,000.

Mark E. Seekely to Eric W. and Rebecca O. Tyree. Lot, Charleston, $420,000.

Joyce W. Morris to Kent and Kelly Estep. Lot, South Charleston, $90,000.

Jason P. and Mary Ann Riley to Grover Cleveland III and Julie Katherine Bennett Persinger. Lot, Charleston, $345,000.

John H. Brown to Patricia L. Shirk. Condominium, Charleston, $141,000.

Pine Resources LLC to Madigan Burgess. Lot, Loudon District, $290,000.

Tina Nibert to Amanda Jo and Teddy W. Paxton. Parcel, Dunbar, $92,000.

Donald Richard and Barbara Scott Cline to Donald L. Cunningham Sr. Parcel, Union District, $141,500.

Charles M. and Karen G. McClung to Michael and Cheryl D. Garcelon. Lot, Elk District, $165,500.

Larry W. and Kathy J. Carr to Kenneth E. Guthrie. Lot, Charleston, $162,000.

Lisa C. Menninger to Madalyn M. Oltman. Lot, Elkview, $163,500.

Terry L. Godbey to City of Charleston. Lot, Charleston, $84,000.

James D. Dodd to Stephen P. Dodd, Brenda K. Dodd, Marcus F. Harless and Angela K. Harless. Lot, Elk District, $75,000.

Doyle E. and Kay W. Moffatt to Casey W. Hammack. Parcel, Charleston, $225,000.

Henry M. Thomas Jr., Betty Jeanne Huffman, Effie Louise Plumb and Edna Mae Edens. Lot, Elk District, $285,400.

Tarun Mohan Kumar to Chandra and Manju Kumar. Condominium, Kanawha City District, $180,000.

Brownie A. Parsons to Aaron Michael and Jennifer Dawn Preston. Lots, Charleston, $181,000.s

Bankruptcies

The bankruptcies listed below are limited to those filed by residents or companies in the Gazette-Mail's circulation area. Chapter 7 designates the liquidation of non-exempt property; Chapter 11 calls for business reorganization; Chapter 13 establishes a schedule of payments to creditors. The following bankruptcies were filed between Jan. 13 and Jan. 20, 2017:

Jackie Elmer Belcher, Bruno, Chapter 7. Assets: $41,410, Liabilities: $44,499

Janet Ruth Belcher, Bruno, Chapter 7. Assets: $41,410, Liabilities: $44,499

Oley Ray Sr. and Kathy Elaine Berry, Delbarton, Chapter 7. Assets: $61,156, Liabilities: $99,845.

Mary Catherine Akers, North Matewan, Charleston 7. Assets: $18,409, Liabilities: $12,109.

Stephen Randall and Gertrude Elizabeth Nunn, Scarbro, Chapter 7. Assets: $117,319, Liabilities: $64,753.

Laura Susan Garland, South Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: Unknown, Liabilities: Unknown.

David Matthew Stanley, Beckley, Chapter 7. Assets: $1,280, Liabilities: $34,297.

Charles Larry Wallace Jr., Beckley, Chapter 7. Assets: $7,312, Liabilities: $221,101.

Alvin Ray Webb, Fairdale, Chapter 7. Assets: $5,623, Liabilities: $124,789.

Gary Michael and Kelly Carrie Young, Pineville, Chapter 7. Assets: $175,184, Liabilities: $167,413.

David Allen Hinkle, Shady Spring, Chapter 7. Assets: $1,520, Liabilities: $50,415.

Anthony Neal Lilly, Jumping Branch, Chapter 7. Assets: $20,787, Liabilities: $52,235.

Kenneth Dwight and Sherry Elaine McMillion, Daniels, Chapter 7. Assets: $141,329, Liabilities: $162,824.

Brenda Marie Sexton, Forest Hill, Chapter 7. Assets: $40,601, Liabilities: $92,261.

Joann Cooper, Ghent, Chapter 7. Assets: $116,400, Liabilities: $290,476.

Harold Junior and Rhonda Kay Adkins, Hinton, Chapter 7. Assets: $150,287, Liabilities: $112,533.

Shawn Marie Elkins, Beckley, Chapter 7. Assets: $72,376, Liabilities: $162,410.

Adam Ray Blevins, Ghent, Chapter 7. Assets: $0.00, Liabilities: $13,388.

Rodney Keith and Susan Elaine Thomas, Mount Nebo, Chapter 13. Assets: $291,593, Liabilities: $285,959.

Timothy Wayne and Deborah Ann Covey, Beckley, Chapter 13. Assets: $60,588, Liabilities: $110,882.

An inmate at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex was killed Sunday evening, apparently by other inmates.

Eugene Robert Anderson, 66, was apparently assaulted by one or more inmates, according to a news release from the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.

Anderson was killed around 6 p.m. Sunday in an outdoor recreation area. Authorities recovered a makeshift weapon, department spokesman Lawrence Messina said in the release.

Messina said Mount Olive, which is in Fayette County and is the state's only maximum-security prison, was immediately placed on lockdown.

No one has been charged. State Police are investigating.

Anderson, a former professor at Marietta College, across the Ohio River from Parkersburg, was serving sentences imposed in Kanawha and Wood counties for multiple sexual offenses involving children. He was not due to be considered for release until the year 2148.

In December 2015, Anderson asked Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman to hand down the maximum sentence of 60 to 200 years when he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual abuse and eight counts of third-degree sexual assault. He admitted to sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy in the 1990s. Kaufman agreed to hand down the maximum sentence.

Anderson was already serving a more-than 80-year prison sentence given by a Wood County judge in 2003, after Anderson pleaded guilty to 17 counts of possession of child pornography and six counts of persuading minors to film sexually explicit conduct. He also was sentenced to more than 70 years in prison by a judge in Washington County, Ohio, on other child pornography charges.

Anderson told the Kanawha judge he wouldn't be getting out of prison anyway, but wanted to do time as penance for the two victims. "Out of all the things I've been convicted of, none of it concerned those two," he said. "There has been no justice for them."

According to Anderson's lawyer at the trial, Anderson waited until his ex-wife died so as not to cause her more pain, then admitted he abused the two boys to a State Police trooper at Mount Olive.

The Transportation Security Administration's screening area at Charleston's Yeager Airport was briefly emptied this morning, and inbound and outbound air traffic was temporarily halted, after TSA officers found what appeared to be a hand grenade in a passenger's carry-on bag.

The grenade turned out to have been either a deactivated weapon or a realistic replica, according to airport spokesman Mike Plante.

The suspicious carry-on item was detected at 9:20 a.m., and the man who allegedly brought it to the airport, John Gregg Goodykoontz, 61, of Bridgeport, was detained as the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad examined the device.

As the examination was taking place, departing passengers waiting to pass through the screening gate were moved back to the ticketing lobby and baggage claim area as a safety precaution, while passengers who had already cleared security were moved to a boarding area a safe distance from the gate, Plante said.

Airplanes that had been boarded by passengers at the time of the incident were not allowed to depart until the incident had been cleared.

Plante said a speedy response to the TSA's detection of the grenade by the Kanawha sheriff's bomb squad and deputies and Yeager Airport Police allowed the incident to be cleared within 25 minutes.

"Hopefully, no one missed their flights or connections," he said.

Goodykoontz received a misdemeanor citation for violating Yeager Airport regulations by allegedly attempting to carry a prohibited item into the sterile area of the airport and for violating state law by transporting or possessing a hoax bomb, Plante said.

Attempting to carry deactivated or replica hand grenades on commercial U.S. flights is also a violation of TSA rules.

Plante said Monday's incident marked the first time in his 12-year affiliation with Yeager that an inert hand grenade had been by security screeners at the Charleston airport.

Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelhammer@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5169 or follow @rsteelhammer on Twitter.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Firefighters found one person dead while responding to a blaze at a vacant Huntington house.

Huntington Interim Fire Chief Jan Rader tells local media that a passerby noticed the flames shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire shooting from the second floor of the two-story house.

When firefighters took hoses inside the house and up the stairs, Rader says they found one person dead at the top of the steps.

There was no indication that anyone else was in the house.

Rader says the house had been unoccupied for at least five years. Investigators found drug paraphernalia inside the house.

The name of the victim hasn't been released. The state fire marshal and Huntington police are continuing to investigate the incident.

The former office manager for Mountain State Justice admitted Monday that she cheated the nonprofit legal aid organization of more than $1 million over the past 12 years.

Kim Cooper pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. She faces a possible 25 years in prison when she's sentenced on April 20 by U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver Jr. in Charleston.

On Monday, Cooper, of St. Albans, told Copenhaver that she opened a secret bank account in 2004 at WesBanco in Mountain State Justice's name and cashed checks written to the organization. She used the money to pay credit card bills, rent and car payments, along with other personal expenses. She also paid the expenses of family members with the money.

A lawsuit filed last month by Mountain State Justice against Cooper and two of her children accuses Cooper's family of knowing and disregarding their mother's embezzlement scheme. If Erin Grinnan Burkill and Jeremy Cooper didn't know, they should have, the lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court claims.

Cooper responded to the lawsuit and asked that it be thrown out. She said she had already struck a deal with federal prosecutors and that her children knew nothing of her scheme.

Cooper said Monday that she was the only employee aware of the secret bank account, which she had signature authority over and kept the checkbook for.

It was in early July 2004 that Cooper began stealing certain checks mailed or delivered to Mountain State Justice. Cooper said she would deposit the checks, write a check to herself and to a close family member and deposit them into an account at City National Bank in her name.

Mountain State Justice provides legal services for low-income West Virginians in civil lawsuits. According to court documents, Cooper began working at the nonprofit agency in the late 1990s, performing clerical work. Her responsibilities grew over time and, eventually, she became the office manager at the organization's headquarters in Charleston.

Besides secretly opening and maintaining the WesBanco account, Cooper would omit the attorneys' fees checks from Mountain State Justice's cash log and hide all mail from WesBanco, she admitted. She also sent false and fraudulent quarterly income statements via email to members of Mountain State Justice's board of directors.

Cooper also never paid income tax on the money she admitted taking.

The deal she made with prosecutors requires she pay $1.5 million in restitution to Mountain State Justice and about $378,000 to the United States government.

In addition to those amounts, Cooper faces up to a $500,000 fine when she's sentenced.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

A man who pleaded guilty to robbing a 78-year-old woman at knifepoint outside a Kanawha City store was sentenced Monday to spend time in a home for youthful offenders - because that's what his victim wanted.

Louise Babst, 78, asked that Clifton Martin, 24, be sent to the Anthony Center for Youthful Offenders, instead of prison. Kanawha Assistant Prosecutor Maryclaire Akers told Circuit Judge Charles King on Monday that Babst believes Martin deserve a second chance.

Babst, who did not attend Martin's sentencing hearing Monday, told probation officers her wishes, Akers said. Babst also wants James Rodgers, 25, of Charleston, to be sent to the Anthony Center, instead of a penitentiary when he's sentenced, the prosecutor said.

"I would rather them not do any additional penitentiary time," Akers said she told the judge, reading what Babst had said. "I would rather them be sent to the Anthony Center."

Martin and Rodgers pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery last year and admitted that, in March 2016, they took turns standing outside the Shops at Kanawha. The cousins were waiting for the chance to rob someone of her purse. The men admitted to stopping Babst as she approached the entrance of the Elder Beerman store.

The men left the scene in Martin's grandfather's red Ford Ranger pickup, with Martin behind the wheel.

A witness, Tyler Bostic, told police he saw the incident and followed the truck to a nearby Kroger store. He then called 911. Video surveillance cameras at Kroger recorded the truck driving behind the store and heading east on MacCorkle Avenue.

About an hour later, the truck pulled into a Speedway on Campbells Creek Drive. Rodgers allegedly used one of Babst's credit cards at the store, but during the same transaction, Rodgers swiped his own Speedy Rewards card. The men were arrested soon after.

There is no limit on the amount of jail time to which a defendant convicted of first-degree robbery can be sentenced. King also will sentence Rodgers later this year.

Martin, who was represented by Charleston lawyer Mike Turkaly, apologized before he was sentenced Monday, Akers said. He asked King to sentence him to the Anthony Center program, which lasts between six months and two years.

Martin's mother also asked the judge to give her son a second chance and an alternative sentence.

King said he was handing down the sentence involving the Anthony Center only because that's what Babst wanted, according to Akers.

Babst could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

Belle town council members Monday night named a new police chief and demoted to patrolman the man who has held the job for the past 10 years, but is now the subject of a federal investigation.

Robert Glenn was named police chief of Belle at a town meeting Monday, said Belle Mayor Glen "Buck" Chestnut, During the meeting, council members also demoted Darrick Cox to a patrolman. He had served as the police chief in the eastern Kanawha County town for about 10 years.

Cox will remain on paid administrative leave, however, the mayor said late Monday.

Upon learning Cox was the subject of an investigation last month, the mayor placed him on a 30-day period of paid administrative leave. That 30 day period ended Jan. 11, but the mayor said Monday night he waited a while before deciding what to do.

"I thought I would've heard from the investigation people, so for a period of time I was waiting on the results of the investigation," Chestnut said, adding he hasn't heard from federal investigators since the beginning of December.

"They are still doing an investigation, as far as I know," Chestnut said. "I hope we find out something really soon."

Although his title now is patrolman, Cox's salary wasn't changed, the mayor said.

Glenn, who has been a police officer in Belle for, the mayor guessed, about five years, is likely to remain chief even if Cox is cleared by federal investigators, according to Chestnut. Glenn's appointment was unanimous by council members, Chestnut said.

"Unless something happens. I don't foresee anything changing," the mayor said.

Both Cox and Chestnut learned of the federal investigation on Dec. 11 from a Gazette-Mail reporter. Both men said they didn't know why Cox would be under investigation. In the days after learning about the investigation, the mayor previously said Cox recommended that the mayor place him on administrative leave or fire him.

According to the mayor, Cox said at the time, the town didn't need to be associated with his problems.

Cox couldn't be reached Monday night for comment. The mayor said the last time he talked to Cox was on Jan. 11. Cox didn't argue with being demoted to patrolman, according to the mayor.

"When I talked to him he was very quiet. He didn't have a lot to say," Chestnut said.

Earlier this month, an assistant U.S. attorney from Kentucky's Eastern District was appointed to work as a special prosecutor in West Virginia's Southern District to assist with "the investigation and potential prosecution" of Cox, according to court documents. Cox's brother, Darryl Cox, works as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Charleston.

A four-page appointment affidavit filled out by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Taylor, of Kentucky's Eastern District, included Cox's name on the last page and was filed publicly Dec. 8 in Charleston. By evening on Dec. 9, the last page of the filing had been removed from public view without explanation. The document didn't include any information about what the investigation concerns, and spokesmen for Taylor's office in Kentucky and prosecutors in Charleston would not comment about the filing or Cox.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.