Grand jury to hear murder case
Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 25, 2015
CHESAPEAKE — Two suspects in the shooting death of a South Point man made appearances Friday in Lawrence County Municipal Court.
William Rice, 24, a last-known address of 65 Township Road 510N, South Point, and Nicole Eller, 29, of 1009 Fourth St., South Point, were scheduled for preliminary hearings Friday. Their cases were bound over to a grand jury.
A grand jury will determine if there is enough evidence to bring their cases to trial.
Each faces felony charges of complicity to commit murder, tampering with evidence and obstructing justice.
Eller was arrested on Jan. 13, Rice the following day, in connection with the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Justin Adams.
A third suspect, Justin Wilson, 25, with a last-known address of 223 Township Road 1186, South Point, is still on the run. Investigators allege Wilson to be the one to have pulled the trigger.
According to investigators, Rice and Wilson arrived at 37 Township Road 616 the evening of Jan. 13 and allegedly began demanding money they claimed Adams had stolen from them. Wilson allegedly began assaulting Adams and then produced a small caliber handgun and fired at least one shot that struck Adams in the face. Wilson and Rice then allegedly fled the residence.
The investigation revealed the situation was drug-related, according to a press release from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.