Guilty verdict in murder trial | News, sports, jobs

PARSONS — A Tucker County man was found guilty of first-degree murder and was granted no mercy by the jury at his trial in Tucker County Circuit Court this week.

The jury returned the guilty verdict against Robert Lee Tennant, 65, after deliberating for just 31 minutes Thursday afternoon.

Tennant shot and killed his brother, Edward Tennant, on April 10, 2023, during a land dispute that took place on Smokehouse Road in Tucker County.

Tennant will be sentenced Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Tucker County Courthouse.

Tennant is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail without bond.

The case was overseen by Circuit Judge James W. Courrier, Jr.

The case was prosecuted by Tucker County Prosecutor Savannah Hull Wilkins. Wilkins called to the stand 911 Center Director Daniel Hebb, Deputy Brent Gidley of the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department, Sgt. Victor Pyles of the West Virginia State Police, Dr. Jan Shapiro of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and Philip Cochran of the West Virginia Police Laboratory to testify as state witnesses.

Tennant was represented by James Hawkins Jr. of Harrison County and Brent Easton of Tucker County, who wanted their client convicted of voluntary manslaughter and not first-degree murder, arguing that the murder was not premeditated. Tennant was called as a defense witness.

In his testimony, according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office, Tennant indicated that he had not been planning or intending to kill Edward, but was simply planning to confront him. Tennant also said that while confronting his brother, he saw Edward look at a machete that was stored in Tennant’s John Deere tractor. That’s when Tennant said he pulled out his gun and shot his brother.

According to the 2023 criminal complaint, authorities with the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police responded to the scene of the shooting. Officers found Robert Tennant across a stream at the location and ordered him to come talk to them, which he did and he was taken into custody.

According to the complaint, Template told police he saw his brother on a telephone pole and drove his John Deere tractor to his brother to confront him and ask him what he was doing. He said the two argued over property, and then he pulled out a Smith and Wesson .22 pistol and shot his brother three times.

Tennant told officers he shot his brother because he was a “shit***” and that he had been planning to do this for several days. When officers asked him if he had watched his brother after shooting him, he told them no. The complaint states that when police also asked him if he regretted what he had done and he told them, “No, I took the monkey off my shoulder.”

After Tennant shot his brother, according to the complaint, he went to his house, contacted 911 and told them what happened. When asked if he felt threatened or scared, he allegedly told officers no.