Trending
PARKERSBURG- West Virginia Medical Examiner Dr. James Kaplan closed out the second day of testimony in the Wood County Circuit Court trial of Larry Gale Owens on Wednesday.
Kaplan said the injuries suffered by Jeffrey Allen Hughart of Parkersburg involved multiple fractures to his skull and are consistent with the state’s theory on what kind of injuries caused his death in June 2014.
According to court records, Owens said Hughart picked up a piece of white-colored pipe and confronted him. Owens then got a piece of pipe or wood and struck Hughart, who dropped to the ground unconscious, records state.
Kaplan said the laceration on Hughart’s head was consistent with being struck by a rod-shaped instrument.
“There are radiating fractures that are a consequence of the force striking him,” he said.
Kaplan said by exposing the top of the skull, the fracture went from the point of impact and was all over the skull.
“When we removed the brain, there were linear fractures to the floor of the skull, just above the eyes,” Kaplan said.
A mark was left on Hughart’s chest and there were scratches on his legs that were consistent with dragging the body, Kaplan said.
“There are scratches and marks on his arms that indicate attempts to carry someone by the arms,” Kaplan said. “There are also scattered abrasions on the back that are possibly consistent with dragging a body.”
Kaplan will be cross examined by the defense when the trial resumes today at 9:15 a.m.
Also testifying Wednesday was Decker Moody, who retired as a detective from the Parkersburg Police Department in November.
Moody said he interviewed Owens at the Parkersburg Police headquarters after he was at the scene.
At first, Moody said, Owens denied he was in a fight with Hughart but later changed his story,
Moody said Owens denied he helped move Hughart’s body, instead saying after the fight he went in the house and laid down for 30 minutes and when he got up Hughart was gone.
Moody said Owens gave his take on what happened that night at his home at 511 Happy Valley Lane. In the interview Owens said he feared for his life. He said Hughart picked up a pipe first and then he wasn’t sure what he picked up, but he hit Hughart, knocking him to the ground, Owens said in the police interview.
Moody said he waited several hours before telling Owens that Hughart was dead.
“At first he said I was lying,” he said. “He became very agitated and began to cry.”
Jurors also got to see the video of the interview. At times when Moody was not in the room Owens was talking out loud and stated that he wished he had never invited Hughart to his home.
After one part of the interview Owens expressed frustration that Moody did not believe he did nothing wrong.
Owens has been charged with murder in the case.