SUMMERS COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Summers County woman is facing a felony charge after West Virginia State Police say she stabbed a man when he returned to his residence Thursday night.
According to the West Virginia State Police, the incident occurred at approximately 10:45 p.m. on July 23, when Senior Trooper B.J. Wiley, another state trooper, and a Summers County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a reported stabbing on Clayton Judson Road in the Alderson area.
Before officers arrived, a nearby resident, identified as Billy Boone, told dispatchers that Ralph Howerton had come to his home seeking help after saying he had been stabbed.
When troopers arrived, they spoke with Howerton, who identified Caroline Huffman as the person who stabbed him.
According to the complaint, Howerton told investigators he left his residence around 1 p.m. to go to work after telling Huffman he would return later that evening.
When he arrived home, he found the front door locked. Howerton told troopers that after opening the door and saying “hey,” Huffman allegedly yelled and stabbed him before telling him, “You need to leave now.”
Howerton told officers he fled the residence on a dirt bike and rode to a neighbor’s home for assistance.
He also told investigators that he and Huffman were not dating but were friends.
Troopers then responded to the residence and interviewed Huffman, who denied knowing anything about the stabbing.
According to the criminal complaint, Huffman told officers that Howerton lived at the residence but claimed she had not seen him since that morning. She suggested he had spent the day with another friend and said she did not know why he would accuse her of stabbing him.
When asked whether the two had argued that day, Huffman initially replied, “Not really,” before pausing and later stating they had not been fighting.
Investigators noted in the complaint that Huffman appeared nervous, flustered, and jittery throughout the interview, frequently moving her hands, feet, and eyes.
Huffman consented to a search of the residence.
Although officers did not locate the knife believed to have been used in the stabbing, they reported finding a bloodstain on a table near the front door.
According to investigators, Huffman was unable to explain how the blood got there and repeatedly claimed Howerton had been “acting crazy.”
She also told troopers she was afraid of Howerton and believed he had been behaving erratically.
Based on the victim’s statement, evidence at the scene, and the investigation, troopers arrested Huffman at approximately 11:27 p.m. on a charge of Unlawful Assault/Wounding.
After being transported to the West Virginia State Police Hinton Detachment, Huffman was advised of her Miranda rights, which officers reported having to explain twice before she initially agreed to speak.
However, according to the complaint, she later invoked her right to remain silent and declined to answer further questions.
While processing Huffman, troopers reported discovering she had previously been arrested in Summers County in connection with another stabbing.
Investigators also alleged that while in custody, Huffman began talking to herself, scratching herself until she bled, and swatting at objects that officers said were not present.
Huffman was transported to the Southern Regional Jail, where she is being held pending arraignment.
The investigation remains ongoing.
As with all criminal cases, the allegations contained in the complaint are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
