FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. — Fayette County man Kayce Simms is scheduled to be sentenced later this month for the crime of first-degree murder.
Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti, Jr. announced on Wednesday that Simms will be sentenced Thursday, May 30, at 9:00 a.m. before Circuit Judge Thomas H. Ewing.
Simms was found guilty of first-degree murder and use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony at the end of a six-day trial on March 26.
On November 21, 2022, police responded to a shooting in the 90 block of Teng Lane in Glen Jean. There, officers found Ashtin Owens with gunshot wounds. Owens later died from his injuries at a Charleston hospital.
According to investigators, Owens had gotten into an argument with Simms’ grandmother that day. Simms then obtained a gun from a friend and went to confront Owens at his residence. The two then got into an argument leading to Simms shooting Owens twice before he fled the scene.
Simms faces up to life in prison for the murder charge and as much as 10 years for the firearm conviction. He will be eligible for parole after 15 years.