CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Ansted man will serve home confinement after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter last month.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Dave Hardy sentenced William Cobb, 74, to three years of home confinement for the killing of Billy Palmer. Judge Hardy credited Cobb with the 503 days he has already served in jail.
Palmer died on March 31, 2024, after Cobb confronted him for setting up a pop-up tent on Cobb’s property, and the incident turned violent. Witnesses told state police that Cobb struck Palmer in the head with a blunt object after he turned his back and beat him multiple times around the face and head.
According to the criminal complaint, Cobb told troopers he intended to kill Palmer and bury him on the property.
Cobb was charged with first-degree murder in June 2024 and accepted a plea agreement last month, pleading guilty to the voluntary manslaughter charge. His attorney, Richard Holicker, stated in court Tuesday that while his client believed he acted in self-defense, he chose to take the plea agreement to avoid the possibility of a life sentence.
Holicker lobbied the court for an alternate sentence to the guidelines of 3-15 years due to Cobb’s age, largely nonexistent prior criminal record, and a list of health issues that include heart problems, trouble walking, and a lack of hearing.
Before hearing his sentence, Cobb addressed the court for over five minutes and explained that he feared for his life after confronting Palmer on his property near Glasgow.
“I didn’t intentionally do anything to hurt that man. I just wanted him away from me because I was afraid of him,” he said.
Judge Hardy filed several letters in support of Cobb during the hearing and heard statements from members of Palmer’s family. His sister, Tessa Sparks, detailed the emotional impact of his death.
“The pain of losing him is something that words can’t fully describe. There’s an emptiness that doesn’t go away. Every holiday, every birthday, every ordinary day that passes without him is a reminder of what was stolen from us,” she said.
The victim’s son, Logan Palmer, explained the close relationship he had with his father and described the emotional toll that he’s dealt with.
“I’ll be going down the road, and I used to be able to talk to him all the time and see him and give him a hug and let him know how much I love him and sometimes get into it with him a little bit because we’re just two hotheads, but now that just ain’t a reality no more,” he said.
Cobb’s personal residence is in Ansted, but Judge Hardy confirmed that the Kanawha County Home Confinement Program would oversee his sentence.