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PARKERSBURG -- Opening arguments are expected to get underway at 9 a.m. today in the murder trial of Victor Lee Thompson.
Thompson, 44, of Parkersburg is on trial for the May 30, 2021, shooting death of Darren Jimmie Salaam, 36, of Akron, Ohio, at a Parkersburg residence.
The prosecution and defense spent Monday in the jury selection process.
In previous court hearings, officials said Thompson went to 4420 17th Ave., Parkersburg, on May 30, 2021, to collect a debt involving shoes belonging to his girlfriend. There may also have been a disagreement involving a drug transaction, they said.
A few hours later, Thompson returned to the residence and allegedly pistol-whipped a woman, then fired a single shot through a curtain divider, striking Salaam.
Officials have said Salaam was able to get out of the house, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries later that day.
Thompson was arrested in Ritchie County following a week-long manhunt.
Officials said Thompson had prior felony convictions for operating a methamphetamine lab, unlawful assault, third-offense driving under the influence and uttering between 2003 and 2014.
Thompson had ties to the Aryan Brotherhood and made racial remarks at the time of his arrest, officials said. Salaam was African-American.