An Ironton area man had his murder case bound over to the grand jury Monday during a preliminary hearing in Ironton Municipal Court.

Carlos L. Jenkins, 39, of 842 County Road 180, is charged with murder in connection with the death of John Turvey, 45, of 960 County Road 103 (Ellisonville Ridge Road). Turvey was found dead Sept. 3 at his residence.

During the hearing, a Lawrence County Sheriff's detective discussed what information led authorities to arrest Jenkins for the murder. Detective Shane Hanshaw said Jenkins first admitted to being in the area around the Turvey residence the morning of the murder, and later admitted that he shot Turvey after Turvey allegedly became agitated and pulled a gun on him.

"He said Turvey wigged out on him and he didn't know why," Hanshaw recalled. "He said he turned his head but could see out of the corner of his eye that Turvey reached for a rifle." A struggle allegedly ensued and Turvey was shot. "When he (Jenkins) realized he (Turvey) had been shot he panicked and left with the rifle," Hanshaw said, adding that Jenkins later indicated he may have thrown the rifle over a hill.

But Otis Jenkins, Carlos Jenkins' father, said his son is a gentle person who is easily led, and tends to tell people what he thinks they want to hear regardless of whether it is the truth.

"You could sit here and ask him questions one way and he would say 'no'; he'd deny it, and then you could ask him the same questions another way and he'd say 'yes'," Otis Jenkins said. "Anytime you make him feel important he'll tell you anything you want him to tell you."

Jenkins said his son hunts in the Lane Ridge-Tunnel Ridge area frequently, therefore it is not unusual that he would be in the area at the time of the murder. Jenkins also said his son had no reason to kill Turvey, and he said the time and money spent investigating his son could be better spent looking for the real killer. "Someone's out there laughing at them."

Otis Jenkins said he was railroaded on a murder charge several years ago and fears the same thing is happening to his son.

Hanshaw said the Turvey family had noticed some things missing from John Turvey's residence, such as a tackle box in which he kept his valuables, and a couple of guns. When questioned by defense attorney David Reid Dillon, Hanshaw said those items and the murder weapon have not yet been found.

Ironton Municipal Judge O. Clark Collins ruled there was enough evidence to bind the case over to Lawrence County Common Pleas Court and hence, a grand jury. Jenkins remains in jail under a $150,000 bond.