The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Police/Courts

September 22, 2008

Judge sets trial date of Nov. 17 in Fayette County murder case

By Matthew Hill

A trial date of Nov. 17 was set during Friday’s Fayette County’s grand jury arraignments in the case of a Fayette County man charged with shooting another Fayette County man to death in March.

Fayette County Circuit Judge John Hatcher also ordered that all pre-trial motions be decided by Nov. 1 in the case of Rocky Dale Wriston, 36, of the Rebecca Lane area of Gatewood.

Jury selection will begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 17, according to the Fayette County prosecutor’s office. Wriston is being represented by Fayetteville lawyers Erwin Conrad and Jamison Conrad, along with Charleston attorney Dwane Tinsley.

Wriston was arrested April 1 in the Bradshaw Mountain area of McDowell County. He is accused of fatally shooting William Lee McGraw, 52, who lived at the end of Rowe Hollow Road off Gatewood Road in Oak Hill.

McGraw’s body was discovered at his residence by his brother on the morning of March 29. He was last seen alive the previous afternoon when his brother drove him home from work, police said.

McGraw, who reportedly lived alone and worked at a local motel, is thought to have died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Police have theorized the apparent motive for the shooting was the theft of prescription pain medication.

The grand jury handed up its indictments for the September term on Sept. 10.

Also arraigned Friday was Daniel J. Bowyer, 34, of Oak Hill. Fayette County Circuit Judge Paul Blake scheduled Bowyer’s trial for Nov. 18, with all pre-trial motions to be fielded by Oct. 6.

Bowyer was indicted Sept. 10 on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Bowyer is accused of sexually assaulting a woman he was dating on June 6 following an argument between the two of them, Fayette County prosecutor Carl Harris explained.

She later told police that Bowyer had a gun. On June 12, they searched his residence and found a gun, Harris noted.

Bowyer’s legal counsel consists of Jim Adkins and Nancy Fraley of the Fayette County public defender’s office.

— E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com

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