Mercer County, West Virginia

From the April 3, 2007 Charleston [West Virginia] Gazette:

PRINCETON – A Virginia man was shot and killed in Mercer County after he apparently approached his ex-girlfriend’s friend with a knife, police said.

About 2:36 a.m. Sunday, police were called to Kirby Addition Road near Princeton where Luther Vane Byrd, 37, of Bluefield, Va., was found dead with a knife in his possession, Mercer County Sheriff’s Detective L.B. Murphy said.

Milton Justice, 57, of Princeton had left a home where Byrd’s ex-girlfriend stayed since they parted and she moved out, he said.

When Byrd approached him in the driveway, Justice fired a .38 special at least once from inside the vehicle, striking Byrd in the head and killing him, Murphy said.

“We believe [Byrd’s ex-girlfriend did not have] an intimate relationship with shooter, but they were friends,” he said. “Luther was jealous of that.”

Justice has not been charged with a crime since it appears he killed Byrd in self-defense, he said.

But the shooting remains under investigation. Murphy will turn over his findings to the county prosecutor, who will determine whether to file any charges.

Police suspect Byrd was under influence of drugs and alcohol, Murphy said. His body was sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.