BECKLEY, W.V. (LOOTPRESS) – Today in Raleigh County Circuit Court, a man who conspired to commit murder pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, to-wit: First Degree Murder.
According to Raleigh Couty Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Hatfield, William Garretson helped Franklin Yancey flee a murder scene on a four-wheeler after Yancey shot and killed 20-year-old Roy Barnes.
Following the two men’s arrest, Yancey pleaded guilty to first-degree murder with a firearm and received life in prison with mercy.
Garretson pleaded guilty in front of Judge Andrew Dimlich Thursday afternoon. His sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on October 15, 2021. He is facing an indeterminate sentence of one to five years.
Hatfield stated that Garretson’s bond had previously been revoked. On Thursday, due to the violence of the crime, the court decided to not reinstate the defendant’s bond and he was remanded to the Southern Regional Jail.
