HUNTINGTON-- About 123 defendants were indicted Monday in the Cabell Circuit Court, including a man charged in connection with the hit-and-run death of Paul Arthur Blake of Huntington, as well as a man allegedly involved with the hotel shooting death of Jason Poynter Finley.
Charles Lee Woods, 23, of Huntington, was indicted on charges of negligent homicide, fleeing from an officer while in a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage.
In April, Woods was originally charged with hitting a parked vehicle during an ensuing police chase. This came after an incident involving Blake, 48, of Huntington, who was hit by a car that month on 26th Street and 9th Avenue.
Blake was living at 842 26th St., just steps away from where a 2000 Dodge Neon backed over him about 2 a.m. Saturday, April 12. The assailant drove over top of him again while fleeing the scene. Blake received severe head trauma and died about 20 hours later at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
Huntington Police Sgt. John Williams said four people were believed to have been in the vehicle at the time Blake was struck, but police do not know who was driving at the time. Woods was driving when police spotted the Dodge Neon after Blake's incident, according to a police report.
"The evidence presented to the grand jury indicates that he (Woods) was the driver of the vehicle," said Cabell County Prosecutor Chris Chiles. "But he is innocent until proven guilty."
A 50-year-old Huntington man's charges have been upgraded from first degree robbery to murder, attempted first degree murder and conspiracy.
Cabell County Sheriff's deputies arrested Charles Allen Runyon in April and originally charged him and another suspect, Raymond Carl "Rocky" Meadows, with first degree robbery.
"We presented the evidence that we had to the grand jury and they determined that these (upgraded charges) were the appropriate charges for this case," Chiles said.
The allegations stem from a robbery attempt that targeted a man's room at the Huntington Inn Motel on Jan. 22 and led to the shooting death of one intruder.
The shooting victim was Finley, 29. Court documents state he died after forcing his way into the room. He received one gunshot wound to the chest. Deputies also arrested Jeffery Irvin Harrison. He was charged with second-degree murder.
From the list of indictments, Chiles said it's another indication that criminal activity is catching up to what used to be small town America.
"And we're no longer small town," he said. "We have excellent law enforcement that are arresting, convicting and incarcerating people that deserve it and doing it to best the of their ability."
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