Willow Wood man turns himself in
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 3, 2007
SCOTTOWN — A Willow Wood man who went missing after getting into fight at a graduation party on Saturday is alive and in the sheriff’s custody.
Charles Mahan, 68, of 3265 County Road 64, returned home Wednesday morning after spending three days in the woods, his wife Carol said.
“He came home and had me call the Sheriff’s Office,” she said. “I’m just happy he is safe and sound.”
Carol Mahan said he returned home around 6 a.m. and he took a bath and his medications before turning himself over to authorities. Charles Mahan suffers from a heart condition and high blood pressure.
“He was feeling pretty good but he was in a lot of pain because he hadn’t taken any of his medication,” she said. “He had a lot of scratches and bruises because he fell over some rocks. Other than that, he was still great.”
Carol Mahan said she was very relieved that her husband was still alive.
“From everything we were hearing, he had been shot and killed,” she said. “It really scares you especially after you have devoted 46 years of your life to him.”
Charles Mahan is facing felonious assault charges in connection with an incident at the party that occured just befor.e he went missing.
A little before 10 p.m. Saturday, Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a location near 7411 State Route 217 to investigate a complaint that one man was shot at and another man was hit with a baseball bat.
The sheriff’s office did not release the names of the victims.
People at the party told police Mahan came out of the woods dressed in dark clothing with his face painted black, and struck a man with a ball bat before firing a gun at another person at the party.
“According to family members, he had been drinking before going to the party,” Lawrence County Sheriff’s Detective Aaron Bollinger said.
The man who was struck with a baseball bat was taken to an area hospital.
Authorities said the man who was shot at was grazed with the bullet. Carol Mahan contended the man reportedly shot at was not struck.
After firing the gun, Mahan ran back into the woods and wasn’t seen until he returned home. Deputies and family members had been searching in the area for Mahan.