More possible charges against 4 convicted in Wyoming County murder case; Preliminary hearing to follow
By Staff Writer | Jan 12, 2016 05:08 AM EST
More charges will likely be filed against four people convicted in a murder investigation in Wyoming County. A preliminary hearing on the case is scheduled to be held in two weeks where additional indictments would be made.
Four people involved in a murder in Wyoming County will possibly face more charges, reported WVVA. State Prosecutor Mike Cochrane said that the likelihood of additional indictments against them is "strong". The four suspects were convicted of involvement in the murder of a man named David Crawford who was reported missing to the Wyoming County Sheriff's Department in late December 2015.
On Saturday, Sgt. A.D. Palmateer said that the suspects are in custody at Beckley's Southern Regional Jail. There will be a preliminary hearing on the case in two where more charges will be filed against the suspects, added Cochrane.
Troopers arrested the four suspects after obtaining evidence from a conversation between a 12-year old girl and her 19-year old boyfriend, Robert Burton, III. WV MetroNews said that the couple were talking about the shooting of Crawford. Authorities questioned the couple and were able to find Crawford's body 10 miles down the Craney area at around 10 PM on Friday.
Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported that a John Toler, 27, has been charged with 1st degree murder and conspiracy to commit a felony. Three people were also indicted for covering up the true story behind the killing. Burton was charged with 2nd degree sexual assault, accessory after the fact to murder, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Two women named Vicki Toler and Raesha Massey (18 and 25 years old respectively) of West Virginia were charged with accessory after the fact to murder and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Cynthia Ellis, the victim's ex-girlfriend, said that Toler was a friend of Crawford. She reported Crawford missing after she tried calling him but his cellphone service was shortly terminated. "The second night I was at their house, that's when I realized David was missing. They gave me my post office box key off of his body and said he had left it there for me."
Ellis learned that Crawford had been murdered on January 8, 2016. "It's horrible. I can only imagine. I don't think he knew that it was coming. He wouldn't have trusted them. He really thought they were his friends. He told me he thought the world of John."