LEON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A quiet evening turned into a nightmare Sunday night in Mason County when a brutal assault left two residents seriously injured and another man behind bars facing attempted murder charges.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., Deputy C. Gibbs of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, alongside additional deputies and Trooper First Class J. Cavender of the West Virginia State Police, responded to a 911 call regarding an active assault at 19369 Tribble Road in Leon, WV.
Dispatchers advised that the suspect, later identified as 52-year-old Kenneth Connell of Tennessee, had struck two individuals in the head before fleeing the scene on foot. He was reportedly wearing camouflage coveralls and a bandana.
Deputy C. Turner, also on patrol, quickly located and detained a man matching the suspect’s description near the scene.
Upon arrival at the residence, deputies were met with a grisly scene. Inside the living room, a male victim, identified as Kenneth Adkison, was found covered in blood and suffering from a severe head wound that extended from his forehead to the back of his skull. Adkison was in and out of consciousness but managed to confirm, through gestures, that he had been struck by a man named Kenneth.
Nearby, a woman later identified as Beverly Adkison was discovered on the floor, seizing and unresponsive but still breathing. A hammer, believed to be the weapon used in the attack, was found beside Mr. Adkison, its head covered in blood spatter.
A witness at the scene, Nancy Rollyson, told deputies that Connell was the only other person in the home at the time. She recounted how he entered her room, turned off the light, and left moments before she heard the screams. Upon exiting her room, she discovered the victims lying in a pool of blood.
Connell was positively identified via his Tennessee driver’s license. He was arrested at the scene, processed at the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and subsequently transported to the Western Regional Jail. He now awaits arraignment on two counts of attempted murder.
Both victims were transported to a local hospital. Their conditions remain unknown at this time.
