McPeak guilty of murdering ex-girlfriend

Just a week before he was to go on trial for first-degree murder, Randy McPeak of Berkeley Springs pled guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend, Heather Harris, in her Hagerstown home on June 10.

McPeak, 43, entered the guilty plea during an afternoon pretrial hearing
in Washington County Circuit Court in Hagerstown on Monday, November 28.

McPeak pled guilty to first-degree murder, using a handgun in the commis-sion of a violent crime, false imprisonment, stalking and two counts of failing to comply with a Peace Order that had been issued at Harris’ request shortly before her death, according to Deputy State’s Attorney Joe Michael.

No date has been set for McPeak’s sentencing.

Shooting, police standoff
According to court documents, McPeak went to Harris’ home on the
morning of June 10. He shot Harris twice in the head, then kept police
from entering the house or providing emergency care
for Harris for several hours.

During the seven-hour standoff, which ended after 7 p.m., special police teams were able to enter the home, pull Harris from the house and transport her to the Hagerstown hospital.

She died several days later from the gunshot wounds.

Hagerstown Police were alerted to the shooting by a 911 caller who said McPeak had called her and indicated that he had done something to Harris.

McPeak eventually surrendered to police. He was indicted by a Washington County Grand Jury in late June.

Court documents in the case show extensive cell phone calls and text
messages between McPeak and Harris, which continued even while McPeak was under two Maryland court orders forbidding him to contact or harass Harris by any means.