West virginia man sentenced to life for murder over facebook post

West Virginia Man Sentenced to Life for Murder Over Facebook Post

by
June 1, 2024

FAYETTE COUNTY, WV — Kayce R. Simms, a 21-year-old from West Virginia, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole for the murder of 37-year-old Ashtin Owens. The incident, which occurred over a dispute related to a Facebook post, was adjudicated by Fayette County Circuit Judge Thomas H. Ewing on Thursday.

Simms was found guilty of first-degree murder and the felony use or presentation of a firearm during the commission of a felony. In addition to the life sentence, he received a consecutive 10-year sentence for the firearms charge.

Simms will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 17.5 years—15 years for the murder and 2.5 years for the firearms offense. The fatal shooting took place on November 21, 2022, at a home located in the 90 block of Teng Lane, about 50 miles northwest of Charleston, West Virginia.

Responding to the incident, police and first responders found Owens with multiple gunshot wounds. He was airlifted to a trauma center in Charleston, where he later died from his injuries.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton

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