HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A Cabell County Senator hopes legislation passed in 2026 will enable the eventual solving of a major crime in his hometown as well as others across the state.
On the night of May 22, 2005, Prom Night in Huntington, Megan Poston, Michael Dillon, Eddrick Clark, and Donté Ward were shot and killed in front of Ward’s home on Charleston Avenue. The four had been together at their high school prom just hours earlier and now they were dead. The gun man fled the scene and nobody has ever been charged. Huntington Police have worked on multiple leads over the 21 years since hat night only to hit dead end after dead end.
The recent creation of the West Virginia State Police Cold Case Task Force may change that.
“This is like an open wound in our city. Everybody knows about these murders, that has been around or come to town. It’s beyond imagination that could happen,” said State Senator Mike Woefel.
Woelfel was among the supporters who helped pass House Bill 4799 which established the task force. The law went into effect in June and the legislation creates the body and the funding to equipment run the unit. The task force has now agreed to tackle the Huntington case with fresh eyes and modern technology.
“Modern technology, 21 years is a lot of time in terms of what’s available to investigators. HPD was still looking at the case, but this will open up a lot of resources to try and solve this crime,” said Woelfel.
Bunny Holmes of Detroit was long considered a person of interest in the case and there was speculation she may have ordered the murders. Holmes was in prison fo a separate murder and was recently paroled. Woefel, a former assistant Cabell County prosecutor, said she will probably be the starting point.
“Somebody may be in prison and have a reason to come forward saying they’ll testify if you guys can help me out on my sentence. Maybe things are available now that weren’t available then,” he said.
The Huntington Police Department will remain the lead investigating agency, and the task force will assist by offering additional resources and the ability to draw in help from other agencies like the FBI to further help on the investigation.
“The victims and their families deserve accountability and justice,” Woelfel said.