CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A Harrison County man charged with beating a drowning a man in a mining pond back in 2014 has been found guilty.
After over an hour of deliberation, the jury sided with the state’s argument that the physical evidence corroborated with witness testimony that Shane Andrew Miller, 22, of Lumberport, murdered Darrel Lynn Golden, 57, of Clarksburg, to prevent him from talking to authorities.
A guilty verdict was returned by the jury for Murder in the First Degree –with a finding for mercy– and also for Conspiracy to Commit Murder.
Friday morning the jury heard testimony focused on wrapping up the state’s case.
Meredith Chambers, a forensics expert with the State Police crime lab, told walked the court through the result of testing conducted on multiple pieces of evidence, including clothes found near the crime scene that Miller threw out of his vehicle while driving away.
The takeaway Assistant Prosecutor Traci Cook told the jury to focus on was Golden’s DNA found on Miller’s sweatshirt and hat.
Dr. Jimmie Smith, with the state Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the stand for questioning related to the autopsy conducted on Golden.
He told the court his determination that the manner death was homicide by physical assault including asphyxiation.
The signs of blunt force trauma found on the right side of the victim’s head and 510 mL of “light brown watery fluid” found in the stomach and lungs lined up with the states assertion that Miller hit Golden on the side of the head, dragged his body into the pond and held him under water until he was dead.
Defense attorney Perry Jones attempted to use the state’s last witness to cast doubt on another key witness, Miller’s ex-wife Tracy Boals.
(Read more on Boals’ testimony from Monday here.)
She testified on Monday that Miller choked Golden before having to drag him into the water, but Smith reported that there were no signs of strangulation around the neck. However, he did not entirely rule out the possibility.
After the state rested it’s case, the defense called only one witness in a bid to prove Miller’s innocence, Miller himself, who claimed it was “up to him to tell the truth” because everyone else had lied.
His account of March 16, 2014 was different than that presented by state witnesses, saying that his at-the-time fiance Boals woke him up at their home because she “had gotten herself into a mess.”
Boals had driven into Clarksburg by herself when Golden recognized Miller’s car and flagged her down in hopes that she would give him a ride to sell some pain pills, he testified
When Golden wouldn’t give Boals any pills, she knocked him unconscious, according to Miller’s testimony.
It was then she got Miller, brought him to the pond and he put the body in the water face down and they drove off.
On cross examination, the state worked to pick his testimony apart, asking why no pill bottle had been found on Golden –or anywhere else– and why did he put the body in the water without knowing if his friend was dead or without calling authorities.
In closing arguments, the defense asked the jury to consider what could have been considered inconsistencies in testimony. Jones keyed in particularly on Boals saying the murder occurred while the sun was up, but here timeline of events would have brought everything to a close well after sundown.
The state countered that the physical evidence backed everything up, and even if Boals wasn’t the most reliable witness, Miller had told his older brother what had happened.
(Read more on testimony regarding the initial investigation here.)
Cook remind the jury of what she said during opening statements that Miller “killed his good friend to stay out of prison. The evidence, she stated, backed up their premise that Miller feared Golden would tell authorities about break in at the Bluebird in Clarksburg, which would result in his probation being revoked.
Miller is facing life in prison, but with the stipulation of mercy, will have a chance of parole after 15 years served.
Judge John Marks determined that sentencing would be scheduled at a later date.