Bradley Steven Wright

PARKERSBURG — A Parkersburg man was arrested on a charge of malicious assault and could face additional charges after the alleged victim died.

Bradley Steven Wright, 37, was arrested Thursday, the day after Joshua Adam Polsley, 37, also of Parkersburg, passed away at a Pittsburgh hospital.

According to the Parkersburg Police Department, Polsley was transferred to the hospital from WVU Medicine Camden Clark, where he was admitted on Christmas Eve.

Police said on Dec. 21, Polsley was involved in a sexual encounter with a woman at 4454 19th Ave., where Wright lives. Wright allegedly entered the room and attacked Polsley with a baseball bat, knocking him to the ground and striking and kicking him several times.

Polsley got out of the residence and went to a nearby relative’s house to clean his injuries, according to a post on the Parkersburg Police Department’s Facebook page.

Three days later, a friend called an ambulance and Polsley was taken from his home to Camden Clark, where he was diagnosed with a brain bleed, broken cheek bones and other internal medical issues, police said. Parkersburg Police were notified the next day and began the investigation.

On Thursday, police executed a search warrant at the 19th Avenue residence. Wright came to the department voluntarily for an interview, during which he admitted to striking Polsley “half a dozen times,” police said.

Wright was charged with malicious assault and his bond was set at $150,000 in Wood County Magistrate Court, police said.

An autopsy will be conducted on Polsley to determine the cause of death and additional charges against Wright are possible, the police’s social media post said.

Police Chief Scott Elliott said both men and the woman were acquaintances but the motive for the alleged attack remains under investigation. It also remains to be determined whether additional individuals should be charged.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.