Ex-assistant prosecutor Durig dies
By RACHEL LANE And JESS MANCINIArticle Photos
PARKERSBURG - One of Wood County's longest running assistant prosecutors who tried many of the most notable criminal cases died of cancer Thursday morning.
C. Scott Durig, 59, died in Great Falls, Va., at his brother Greg's home as a result of lung cancer. Greg said Durig was diagnosed about a year ago, after cancer had spread to other parts of his body. He died peacefully at about 5:30 a.m. under the care of his family and hospice.
Durig was an assistant Wood County prosecuting attorney for almost 35 years. He retired June 30, 2005, as a senior assistant prosecuting attorney, but helped the office on big cases after that, Prosecutor Ginny Conley said.
"Scott Durig has been the solid base for prosecution in Wood County for over 30 years,'' Conley said. ''He was absolutely one of the best trial lawyers in the state. Wood County was blessed to have such a dedicated and talented public servant watching over the safety of our community.
''Scott was a dear friend and will be missed,'' she said.
Durig was hired in 1974 by former Prosecutor Joe Brown. He also was an assistant under former prosecutors Harry Deitzler, Jeffrey Reed, Michele Rusen and Conley.
''Scott was a rock,'' said Deitzler.
Durig tried many cases, including numerous murder cases, in his career.
''He was a very knowledgeable man who lived for the law and he lived for the fight and he always stood up for justice,'' said Jodi Boylen, senior assistant prosecutor in Wood County.
"My experiences with him were all good," said Parkersburg police Chief Gerald Board. "I always liked him as a person and a prosecutor."
He said Durig was well respected and very good at his job.
"He wanted to stay at his home in Vienna for as long as possible. He loved the area. He loved his friends and he loved his colleges," Greg Durig said. "He felt his work was important and it was important to do the job right."
His dedication to the job and attention to details made him a mentor for younger attorneys, Greg Durig said.
"Scott was a private person but to have him in our home during this blessed time means so much to me and to my wife," he said. His family had the chance to know him better.
He said his brother was courageous and tried to fight the cancer by having several different treatments.
Durig was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association.
Durig, a graduate of the West Virginia University School of Law, in 2004 and 2005 served on the Faculty of the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, S.C., where he taught many of the most experienced prosecutors from around the country.
Greg Durig said his brother loved to fish in Canada every year and was a Mountaineer and Steelers fan.
