WINCHESTER — A Savage 300 searching rifle was used Inside the killing of Walter Ray “Pee Wee” Prolonged on Thursday in Frederick County and was the motive for the homicide, Based mostly on police.
Prolonged’s good friend, Jeffrey Brian Smith, tprevious police Gerald Wayne Marple Jr. stole the rifle from his house shortly earlier than Christmas. He said he and Prolonged went to Marple’s house Inside the 100 block of Dicks Hole Road to retrieve the gun, the place Prolonged was shot round 11:50 a.m. on Thursday.
Prolonged was a 32-yr-previous Valley Mill Road resident. He is survived by a son in West Virginia, Based mostly on his obituary.
Police said Marple admitted to firing The solely shot that killed Prolonged. However Marple and A woman, who have been in mattress when Marple fired the shot, said it was in self-protection after Smith struck Marple with a metallic pipe he found Inside The house.
“They suggested Smith swung the pipe at Marple placing Marple Inside The prime shut to his left eye,” Deputy Jared C. Nail of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a felony grievance. “Marple had a slight abrasion round his left eye and an damage to his left hand.”
Smith said he noticed the rifle he believed was his subsequent to the mattress and that Marple grabmattress it, pointed it at Prolonged and Smith and fired, Based mostly on the grievance. Nail said Smith admitted to “wielding the pipe to intimidate Marple.” Smith said he pushed Marple Collectively with his left hand the placeas standing over the mattress hpreviousing the pipe Collectively with his proper hand.
After the capturing, Smith said he dropped the pipe and fled The house. He referred to as 911 and drove A few block to the MK Quick Gasoline fuel station at 3430 Northwestern Pike (U.S. 50), the place he was interviewed by police earlier than being arrested.
Smith, 42, of the 1200 block of Sirbaugh Road in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, was costd with malicious wounding. He seemed briefly in Frederick Widespread District Courtroom on Monday, the place he was denied bond. Kristen G. Zalenski, an assistant commonwealth’s lawyer, tprevious Decide Mary Costello Daniel that Smith has pending stalking and violation of a safety order costs in Hampshire County, West Virginia, and is a “vital hazard” to the group. Smith is due again in court at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 15.
Marple, 45, furtherly seemed in court on possession of a firearm by a felon cost and was denied bond. The gun cost Is said to excellent forgery and failure To seem in court costs in the direction of him. He was indicted in November in Frederick Circuit Courtroom after being accused of forging a Motorcar title and uttering a forged public doc. He is due again in court at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 on the gun cost.
“The defendant shot and killed somebody and There have been A substantial quantity Of medicine found On The house,” Zalenski said in arguing in the direction of bond. “We ask that he be held as A substantial hazard to the group and a flight hazard.”
In an interview after the court listening to, Ross P. Spicer, county commonwealth’s lawyer, said It is too early Inside the case to say if Marple will face further costs or if the homicide Shall be dominated simplyifiable. Spicer said he Did not Want to compromise the case if extra costs are filed.
“The general public has a proper To be tprevious, but I’ve an moral obligation to not taint any potential jury pool,” he said. “At this juncture, It is simply too early to make any remark.”