Alleged murderer waives time

Published 11:25 am Friday, March 27, 2015

A South Point man accused of murder waived his right to a speedy trial Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Justin Wilson, 25, of 223 Township Road 1186, signed the time waiver, which pushed his trial from April to late June or early July. The exact date has not yet been set.

Judge Charles Cooper set another pretrial date for April 15.

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Wilson is charged with the murder of 30-year-old Justin Adams, who was shot in the face on Jan. 13. He was also charged with tampering with evidence.

Wilson was arrested after about two weeks on the run from police.

According to investigators, Wilson shot Adams after an alleged drug-related dispute at the home of Nicole Eller, 30, of 37 Township Road 616 Apt. 9, South Point.

Eller was also arrested, as well as William Rice, 24, of 65 Township Road 520 N., South Point. Each has been charged with counts of complicity to murder, third degree tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.

Rice also signed a time waiver on Wednesday. His new trial date has not yet been set.

In other cases:

• Daniel Potter, 25, of 2120 Neighborhood Road, Gallipolis, pleaded guilty to a second-degree count of burglary. Cooper sentenced the man to six years in prison with the possibility of a judicial release after four years.

• Keith Cremeans, 37, of 1043 County Road 59, Chesapeake, pleaded guilty to a first-degree count of complicity to trafficking in heroin. Sentencing was set for April 29.

• Clifford Stickler, 41, of 760 Shady Point Road, Oak Hill, was arraigned on a bill of information of fifth-degree theft from the elderly and two counts of second-degree burglary, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $100,000 cash or surety and a pretrial was set for April 8.

• Sierra Hern, 19, of 401 Marion Pike, Coal Grove, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree trafficking in Alpha-PVP. Sentencing was set for April 8 following a presentence investigation.

• Belinda Gorby, 47, of 2975 Melody Branch Road, Huntington, was arraigned on a fifth-degree count of forgery, to which she pleaded not guilty.

Judge D. Scott Bowling set bond at $10,000 own-recognizance and set a pretrial for April 8.

• Craig Hogsten, 45, of 65 Private Drive 954 County Road 52, Ironton, was sentenced to four years in prison and a $7,500 fine for counts of second-degree trafficking in drugs and third-degree tampering with evidence, to which he previously pleaded guilty.

• Robert Browning, 27, of 751 State Route 522, Pedro, pleaded guilty to a fifth-degree count of breaking and entering and a misdemeanor count of theft. Bowling sentenced the man to treatment in lieu of conviction. The man must complete the STAR program as well as treatment at New Beginnings, 200 hours of community service and pay $800 in restitution.

• Mindy Henry, 33, of 3974 Green Valley Road, Huntington, admitted community control sanctions violations and was sentenced to treatment at Mended Reeds.

• Joseph Whitmore, 35, of 801 Second St. E., South Point, pleaded guilty to a third-degree count of tampering with evidence and fifth-degree counts of possession of cocaine and heroin. Bowling set sentencing for April 8.

• David Lee Rowe Jr., 38, of 516 Hecla St., Ironton, was arraigned on a bill of information of fifth-degree failure to register change of address, to which he pleaded guilty. Bowling sentenced the man to six months in prison.

• Andrea Neace, 29, of 302 Susan Court, Ironton, was sentenced to four years CCS under intensive supervised probation for a third-degree count of theft of a firearm, to which she previously pleaded guilty.

She must also complete the STAR program, 200 hours community service and pay $800 restitution.