WHEELING, W.Va. — Investigators probing the death of a Moundsville teenager in Wheeling believe new information which led to charges will help speed their investigation.
Sharon Leach, 68, of Moundsville was charged this week by Moundsville police in connection with the death of Kyle Morgan, 15, of Moundsville. Leach wasn’t charged with killing Morgan, whose body was discovered June 16 under the Fort Henry Bridge, but police did charge her with obstruction of an investigation. Leach admitted to authorities, after two months of probing, she gave him a ride to Wheeling the day before he died according to the criminal complaint.
“If we would have had this information two months prior we may have been a long way down the road,” said Wheeling Police Sargent Gregg McKenzie. “We wouldn’t have been stuck at this point still.”
Leach drove Morgan and three other teenagers to Wheeling the day before Morgan’s death court records showed. She also allegedly allowed them to take drugs in the car on the trip. Leach, who is a head nurse at an area hospital, is also charged with Schedule II narcotic possession and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
As for the investigation into Morgan’s death, McKenzie said the medical examiner determined the cause of death was a homicide from blunt force trauma. However, that didn’t fully explain what may have happened.
“They could not determine if a weapon was used or whether it was a result of a slip and fall,” McKenzie said. “Where he was found was a rocky area, so they were not able to determine specifically if it was a result of a blow or a fall.”
The new information in the case also led authorities to Morgan’s cell phone, the whereabouts which were previously unknown.
“Apparently they have now located the phone and they’re going to get a search warrant for the phone and go through it properly,” said McKenzie. “We’ll see what clues that may have, whether he was communicating with somebody else. It’s very active and very ongoing.”