Other indictments returned to prosecutor

A pair accused of murder or being involved with murder was recently indicted by a Lawrence County grand jury.

Russell L. Adkins, 37, of 197 County Road 1, Lot 56, South Point, was charged with Aggravated Murder, an unclassified felony, Kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third-degree. Brandy N. Miller, 34, of 127 Township Road 1079, Apt. A, Chesapeake, was charged with Complicity to Aggravated Murder, an unclassified felony, Complicity to Kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third-degree.

The two are believed to have caused the death of Larry Scott Stephenson, 54, on or about Dec. 1 through Dec. 2. Miller was the girlfriend of Stephenson.

According to the police report, Miller called Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies to her and Stephenson’s residence after claiming that she and Stephenson had been drinking and got into an argument. She then said she went to bed around midnight and when she woke up around 1 a.m., she couldn’t find Stephenson and wanted to file a missing persons report.

As the investigation and search for Stephenson continued, Miller’s story began to change, and she said that, when the fight escalated, she called her co-worker, Russell Adkins, who then began to assault Stephenson inside of the residence followed by putting Stephenson in his pickup truck and leaving. Signs of struggle and what appeared to be traces of blood were also discovered inside of the residence.

During questioning, Adkins told detectives that he did assault Stephens, who began to bleed and went unconscious. Adkins and Miller then drove through fog to an unknown gravel road, where he said the pair dragged Stephenson into an abandoned house, using rope to bind Stephenson’s hands and feet together.

On that Sunday, deputies located Stephenson’s body in an abandoned house, as Adkins had described.

Other indictments returned include:

• Michael D. Barney, 55, of 440 Third Ave., Worthington, Kentucky; two counts fourth-degree trafficking in drugs (Oxycodone), fifth-degree possession of drugs (Oxycodone).

• Shane C. Blanton, 33, of 1115 Latonia St., Ironton; fourth-degree improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

• Seann D. Brown, 35, of 871 Henry Clay Blvd., Lexington, Kentucky; fourth-degree trafficking in drugs (methamphetamine), fifth-degree trafficking in drugs (Alprazolam), fifth-degree possession of criminal tools, and resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor.

• Tonia Clark, 37, of 2422 S. Fifth St., Ironton; third-degree trafficking in drugs (methamphetamine), fourth-degree trafficking in marijuana, and fifth-degree possession of drugs (Amphlet Salts).

• Amanda L. Chapman, 31, of 10 Private Drive 149, Unit 2, Chesapeake; third-degree tampering with evidence.

• Jackson T. Crabtree, 25, of 291 Township Road 156 N., South Point; third-degree tampering with evidence, third-degree escape, and fifth-degree vandalism.

• David Breham Deloneo Duvall, 27, of 11358 Greenfield Road, Apt. 229, Detroit, Michigan; two counts fourth-degree trafficking in drugs (Oxycodone), and fifth-degree receiving proceeds of an offense subject to forfeiture proceedings.

• Jade Freeman, 25, of 104 Grant Court, South Point; fifth-degree forgery.

• Scott A. Fox, 45, of 76 Private Drive 2820, South Point, two counts fifth-degree possession of drugs (heroin, Acetaminophen).

• Jason M. Ellison, 34, of 1112 Ninth St., Apt. 2, Huntington, West Virginia; two counts fifth-degree forgery.

• Shane D. Egbert, 31, of 80 Township Road 184 W., Pedro; fifth-degree theft, first-degree misdemeanor theft, and domestic violence, also a first-degree misdemeanor.

• David K. Hess, 22, of 38 Township Road, Chesapeake; three counts fifth-degree forgery.

• John R. Hogan, 32, of 3462 Bexvie Ave., Columbus; fifth-degree breaking and entering, fifth-degree vandalism, and fifth-degree possessing criminal tools.

• Troy J. Hughes, 27, of 527 Washington St., Coal Grove; fourth-degree grand theft, second-degree burglary, fifth-degree theft from the elderly, and resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor.

• Megan N. Lawhon, 25, of 1873 County Road 1, South Point; fifth-degree possession of drugs (methamphetamine), and possession of drug abuse instruments, a second-degree misdemeanor.

• Shannon L. Reaper, 42, of 2425 S. Fourth St., Ironton; second-degree felonious assault, and fourth-degree disrupting public services.

• Branden Sites, 28, of 1947 County Road 415, Pedro; fourth-degree failure to appear.

• Joseph Swanson, 45, of 24 Southview Lane, Huntington, West Virginia; third-degree escape, third-degree tampering with evidence, and fifth-degree vandalism.

• Paul L. Walker Sr., 48, of 552 County Road 12, Proctorville; fifth-degree possession of drugs (heroin).

• Jay B. Wolfe, 37, of 207 Rockwood Ave., Chesapeake; fifth-degree possession of drugs (methamphetamine).

• Benjamin Vanover, 40, of 96 Private Drive 1211, Proctorville; third-degree tampering with evidence, third-degree escape, and fifth-degree vandalism.

There were also eight secret indictments returned. An indictment is a formal allegation that an individual has committed a crime. All are innocent until proven guilty in court.