Accused murderer indicted by grand jury
Published 11:02 am Thursday, February 28, 2013
A man accused of shooting and killing his brother-in-law was indicted this week by a Lawrence County Grand Jury.
Rodney Delawder, 33, of 2953 State Route 243, Ironton, was charged with murder with a gun specification, second-degree discharging a firearm into a habitation and second-degree felonious assault.
Delawder is accused of killing his brother-in-law, John A. McKnight, 48, at their home on Jan. 29. He is also charged with felonious assault against another brother-in-law, Larry J. McKnight, 46.
According to testimony by Lawrence County Sheriff Detective Aaron Bollinger at a probable cause hearing in Lawrence County Municipal Court earlier this month, Delawder had allegedly fought with his two brothers-in-law over a past incident between his wife and the two men.
During the hearing, Bollinger said John and Larry McKnight’s mother, who was home at the time of the incident, told authorities she heard the fighting outside and saw Delawder beating her sons. She also claimed to hear Delawder threaten to kill John.
The woman also said Delawder shot through the glass from the outside of the home as John was trying to hold the door shut, but that she didn’t see Delawder pull the trigger. At this point, Larry was lying on the kitchen floor unconscious.
Delawder left the scene and was later found at his mother and sister’s home off County Road 55 in Ironton, where he was arrested.
Delawder will be arraigned in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court on a future date.
Delawder is being represented by attorney Mike Davenport and remains in the Lawrence County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Other indictments returned by the grand jury, according to the office of Lawrence County Prosecutor’s office are:
• Jack Cremeans, 28, of 2615 S. Fifth St., Ironton, theft from Foodfair.
• Christopher Russell, 37, of 1024 S. Fifth St., Ironton, tampering with evidence, possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs.
• Michael Childers, 30, 119 Memorial St., Coal Grove, aggravated burglary and misdemeanor aggravated menacing.
• Frances Scarberry, 49, of 2810 S. Sixth St., Ironton, theft from Dollar General.
• Carolyn Newton, 33, of 228 Marcum Terrace, Huntington, W.Va., possession of drugs and possessing drug abuse instruments.
• Debbra Ostby, 24, of 9641 County Road 4, Pedro, forgery and theft.
• Eric Collins, 23, of 3997 State Route 243, Ironton, theft of a firearm.
• Willis Childers Jr., 45, of 149 Township Road 1063, South Point, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and possession of marijuana.
• Christian Johnson, 35, of 517 Township Road 286, Chesapeake, possession of heroin.
• Rachael Jones, 28, of 223 Township Road 1186 Apt 23, South Point, complicity to aggravated trafficking in drugs and complicity to possession of drugs.
• Danny Jones, 25, of 223 Township Road 1186 Apt 23, South Point, aggravated trafficking in drugs and possession of drugs.