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Wood County Grand Jury indicts 96 people

PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday the indictments of 96 individuals by the grand jury. Information on three suspects – Claudia Torres, 20, charged with murder and wanton endangerment involving a firearm; Brian Ray Donze, 52, 10 counts of first-degree sexual assault, 18 counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust, eight counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of distribution and exhibition of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and Thomas Edward Carpenter, 54, five ...

Lawsuit seeks injunction to re-open Harman School

HARMAN – A community nonprofit group has filed a lawsuit alleging that the Randolph County Board of Education illegally sold and closed the former Harman K-12 School, and seeks an injunction to re-open the school. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday afternoon in Randolph County Circuit Court by Hometown Hope, which documents describe as a “domestic non-profit corporation.” The suit states the group “is comprised of taxpayers and parents of students of Randolph County Public Schools,” and lists a Harman address for the group. The Randolph County Board of Education and current ...

Murder suspect among 96 indicted by Wood County Grand Jury

Complete list of indictments PARKERSBURG – A woman who told 911 dispatchers she shot a man three times after he attempted to touch her inappropriately was indicted on charges of murder and wanton endangerment by the Wood County Grand Jury. Claudia Torres, 20, in custody without bond at the ...

Washington County Grand Jury indicts 16, including 3 for multiple thefts

MARIETTA – Two men charged with more than 30 counts each related to a string of break-ins and thefts were among 16 people indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury. Jason Ryan Stewart, 34, 1815 Rockland Ave., Belpre, and Joshua Michael McGee, 43, 812 Seventh St., Parkersburg, are accused of stealing a pickup truck and trailer, tools, crossbows, NASCAR collectibles, a TV and other items from residences, a storage facility and other buildings in Marietta, Belpre, Little Hocking and Whipple between Oct. 23 and Nov. 1, according to the indictments. “It was a crime spree ...

Second man indicted in 1995 Fulton cold case murders

MARIETTA – On Wednesday morning, Washington County Sheriff Mark Warden and Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced the indictment and arrest of Waterford resident Johnny Ray Ball in connection with the 1995 murders of Kimberly Fulton and her son, Daniel. Ball, 64, is the second man indicted and arrested in connection with the killings. The bodies of Kimberly Fulton, 28, and Daniel, 17 months, were discovered on March 5, 1995, in their burned mobile home in Palmer Township. Investigators determined that the victims had died before the fire was started, indicating that the fire ...

Parkersburg man pleads guilty to federal gun crime

CHARLESTON – A Parkersburg man has pleaded guilty in federal court for the Southern District of West Virginia to possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. According to court documents and statements made in court, Alphonso LeSean Johnson, 36, on April 8, 2025, possessed a Taurus model G3C 9mm pistol, United States Attorney Moore Capito said. Federal law prohibits a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his ...