A Hancock man was struck and killed along Tollgate Ridge Road in Southern Fulton County, Pa. just north of Hancock in the early morning hours of Thursday, June 26.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, Jacob Allen Long, 34, of Hancock, was on the roadway in the 900 section of Tollgate Ridge Road, south of Younker’s Meat Market, just before 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

A Dodge van was traveling south on Tollgate Ridge Road when it struck Long, police said.

After striking Long, the van continued south on Tollgate Ridge Road as the driver lost control and impacted a fence.

Police said the driver fled the scene prior to their arrival.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police McConnellsburg at 717-485-3131.

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A Berkeley Springs couple has been jailed on charges of drug dealing after large quantities of drugs were found in their vehicle following a traffic stop in town.

Gregory Godman, 71, and Jodi Godman, 42, were each charged with multiple drug-related crimes.

According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department and a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court, Deputy B.K. Knotts was conducting traffic patrol in the area of U.S. 522 near ROCs around 7:35 p.m. on Monday, June 22 when he noticed unusual behavior from a couple in a 2017 Hyundai Elantra.

After detecting a traffic violation as the vehicle moved along U.S. 522 north, Deputy Knotts made a traffic stop and observed the passenger attempting to conceal a smoking pipe in the glovebox.

In the course of the traffic stop, Deputy Knotts determined there was probable cause to search the vehicle.

With the assistance on the scene of Deputy Barker and Trooper Warnick, a search of the vehicle revealed approximately 50 capsules of methadone, several ounces of crack cocaine, fentanyl capsules, a large quantity of gabapentin and clonazepam, containers of powdered cocaine, THC gummies and marijuana. Officers also found a scale, baggies and containers often used in drug transactions.

During a search of Jodi Godman’s phone, officers also located text messages indicative of drug trade, with suspects allegedly admitting they trade controlled substances for pills with individuals in the county.

Gregory Godman and Jody Godman were each charged with four counts of possession with the intent to deliver a Schedule 1 drug (cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana) and two counts of possession with the intent to deliver a Schedule 4 substance (Clonozapam, Gabapentin) and six counts each of conspiracy to distribute drugs.

They are currently being held at the Eastern Regional Jail on $100,000 cash/surety bail awaiting a preliminary hearing in the case.

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The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department will once again have a K-9 officer on its force, following a vote by the County Commission to approve up to $20,000 for start-up costs to add a trained dog to the department. Funds for the K-9 will come from the county’s fund of opioid lawsuit settlement money.

Sheriff Johnnie Walter outlined the costs and steps involved in adding the K-9 to his department, answering county officials’ questions during the regular commission meeting on Wednesday, June 17.

“I cannot believe how much dogs cost,” Sheriff Walter told officials. He has decades of experience working with dogs in law enforcement, and said prices are high right now. A “green” or untrained K-9 could cost close to $10,000, Walter said.

Offsetting that cost is an offer of free training for the dog at a K-9 academy in Virginia, where Walter sometimes assists in training.

Other costs for the dog include gear, a cage, a heat sensor for the patrol vehicle the K-9 will travel in, dog food, vet expenses, equipment and compensation for the deputy who will be the dog’s handler.

Walter said the dog will be used primarily for detecting narcotics. He said he prefers a laborador or German short hair breed for the job.

Once an appropriate dog is found, he or she will undergo eight weeks of K-9 training and the deputy designated to be its handler will receive training as well.

During previous discussion about a K-9, the sheriff said it doesn’t make sense to train the animal on marijuana detection as state laws continue to change and once a dog is trained on alerting for a substance, it cannot be untrained to do so.

Another deputy requested

In other police matters, Sheriff Walter told commissioners that this would be an ideal time to add a deputy to the department. During the last round of Civil Service testing, Walter said he wound up with a list of five or six qualified candidates who passed both the written and physical agility tests, which is unusual.

“It’s a good time to hire an additional deputy,” he said.

Walter said the average coverage ratio for a community is 2.4 officers per 1,000 residents. Morgan County has 1 officer per 1,500 residents when all officers are available, he said. If any are on deployment or medical leave, the ratio is even less.

“Right now, we’re working with one deputy per 2,200 residents,” he said. “And that doesn’t include visitors and tourists visiting.”

Walter said now would be the time to grab an available officer. That would reduce overtime costs and provide better coverage county-wide. The starting salary for a deputy is $40,000.

Commission President Joel Tuttle said he agrees the county needs to increase the number of officers. He asked if there are any grant programs or opportunities to pay that salary, instead of using the county’s general funds.

He said he would fully support a grant effort to add a deputy.

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Kathleen E. Virts, 31, was the driver in a single-vehicle collision that occurred on Green Oak Road at about 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2025, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by West Virginia State Police Trooper G.C. Warnick.

At the scene, Trooper Warnick and Trooper Meyers observed a black SUV on the left side of the roadway. A utility pole was broken in half after being struck by the vehicle.

Four children under the age of 16 were in the vehicle at the time of the collision.

Two car seats in the vehicle were not secured with a locked seatbelt, and there were no booster seats in the vehicle, despite Virts’ claims to the contrary, according to the criminal complaint.

Virts claimed a truck was following her, and bumps in the road made her crash.

She was unaware of her location, and failed several field tests for sobriety, according to the criminal complaint.

Virts was placed under arrest and transported to War Memorial Hospital, where she consented to a blood draw.

Lab results revealed Virts had a high concentration of gabapentin, a prescription medicine affecting the nervous system, in her blood at the time of the collision.

Drivers arrested for drug impaired driving with similar levels of gabapentin in their system as Virts often drive erratically, exit the lane of travel, and crash, according to the lab report.

Virts is incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail, where she awaits sentencing in court on June 29.

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The caller said they check on their cousin’s home there about once a month. This time, they saw signs of forced entry through a ground level front window.

They also reported seeing a woman in a pink or purple shirt and dark pants jump from a low second story roof and run into the woods, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputy Bradley K. Knotts.

Deputy Diehl and Deputy Barker also responded, locating a man and a woman running through the woods west of the residence.

The suspects initially attempted to evade the deputies before being detained near the edge of Cacapon Road.

The woman, identified as Betty Brown, 46, matched the description given by the caller.

Brown was arrested, and later released, on a pending capias charge, issued for violating a court order from a previous violation.

The man, identified as Derek A. Keller, 38, of Paw Paw was released pending an investigation.

Evidence at the scene placed Keller inside the residence on Rocky Pine Lane, where several items were reported missing by the owner, according to the criminal complaint.

A warrant was issued for Keller’s arrest, and was served by three West Virginia State Troopers at a residence on Magnolia Road in Great Cacapon on Sunday, June 7 at about 3:30 p.m.

Keller came outside and indicated Brown was inside, hiding in the back of the house.

A search found a capsule of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia in the living room, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by Trooper B.L. Beard.

Keller was arrested and charged with burglary and possession of a controlled substance.

Brown was arrested on two counts of capias and a burglary charge.

Both remain incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail. Keller has requested a trial by jury.

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Anthony A. Britti, 48, was initially arrested by warrant on Saturday, May 23 following a verbal disturbance at a residence on Burnt Mill Road at about 7:20 that morning.

A 911 caller reported Britti was outside beating on cars with a drainpipe and trying get inside, then took off on an e-scooter, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputy M.A. Butts.

Two sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene and observed damage to the bumper, door, and taillight of a vehicle there.

The officers also observed a pink mark on a victim’s leg, caused when Britti came into their room and kicked them, according to the criminal complaint.

Deputy Butts helped the two victims properly evict Britti and obtain protective orders.

Britti was arrested on charges of battery and destruction of property and released on a $1,500 bond stipulating no contact with the victims.

By around 7 p.m. the next day, on Sunday, May 24, another 911 call came in from the same address on Burnt Mill Road for a threat incident.

Two West Virginia State Police troopers, and two Morgan County Sheriff’s deputies responded.

Britti was arrested at the scene, as he was in violation of the two active protective orders against him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by Trooper T.E. Short.

Britti remains incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail on a $10,000 bond while he awaits a hearing.

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Police got behind a red Chevy Trailblazer with a missing headlight driving down the middle of the road, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by Trooper T.E. Short.

The driver, identified as Linwood L. Markley Jr., 56, sped up and fled from two state troopers with their lights and sirens engaged, according to the criminal complaint.

Markley pulled over at Tanager Lane, exited the vehicle, and fled on foot into a wooded area.

Trooper Short requested a K-9 unit respond to locate the suspect, but there was negative contact in the scanned area.

A police investigation into the vehicle’s registration found Markley staying at an address on Presbyterian Church Road.

Markley had been previously convicted of driving while license revoked for DUI in 2011.

He was arrested by warrant on Wednesday, May 27 and is charged with driving revoked for DUI, fleeting from officer, and fleeing in a vehicle.

Markley is incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail on a $8,000 bond while awaiting a hearing.

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“Everyone thinks nothing happens here, but it does,” said Sheriff Walter, during a ceremony on May 6 at the county courthouse.

In the commission meeting room filled with uniformed officers from multiple agencies and family members, Walter and Widmeyer recognized the bravery and professionalism of Sheriff’s Deputy Malachi Butts and Officer Bradley Meacham.

Sheriff Walter said their response on July 26, 2025 to a domestic call in eastern Morgan County saved the lives of the resident of the home and a juvenile. Chief Deputy Widmeyer described the call, in which suspect Melvin Gallion was armed and had already shot multiple shotgun rounds inside the home, killing two dogs and threatening the people inside.

When Deputy Butts and Meacham arrived at the home, they “almost immediately came under heavy gunfire from within the residence.”

“Despite the danger, Deputy Butts and Deputy Meacham engaged Gallion with return fire, successfully diverting his attention and allowing two victims to escape the residence,” Widmeyer told the gathering.

Gallion was struck by police gunfire and exited the residence, surrendering at that point. The officers provided first aid to the suspect until EMS arrived.

Meacham, in the gunfire exchange, had been struck multiple times by shotgun pellets, in his forehead and his hand.

“The swift actions and bravery of Deputy Malachi Butts and Deputy Bradley Meachum directly saved the lives of the female and juvenile victim. Their courage, decisiveness, and willingness to place themselves in grave danger exemplify the highest standards of law enforcement service,” said Widmeyer.

Meacham would have to have surgery to treat his injuries following the incident. He has since returned to work as an officer for the City of Ranson.

Gallion was sentenced to 56 to more than 100 years in prison for his crimes. Sheriff Walter said his department had waited for the recognition ceremony until the court case was finished.

Deputy Malachi Bitts was given the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office Medal of Valor and Officer Bradley Meacham was awarded the Medal of Valor as well as the Purple Heart in recognition of his injuries.

Sheriff Walter noted that both men are expectant fathers, and the entire department was grateful that the officers survived.

Walter said in the aftermath of the incident, West Virginia State Police and Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department showed up to assist and law enforcement officials in Charleston called to offer help.

Widmeyer and Walter both echoed that in their law enforcement careers, they have lost many fellow officers and have had to present awards for valor at times not to their colleagues but to the wives and children of fallen officers.

“We’re fortunate we have everyone here still in our family,” Sheriff Walter said.

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Bruce S. Garzon-Earthman, of unknown address, was 23 when the assault occurred in the break room at work. The victim was under the age of 16 at the time.

Following his guilty plea, Garzon-Earthman was remanded to the custody of Eastern Regional Jail, where he awaits a bed in the youthful offender program at Anthony Correctional Center.

Sentencing will take place upon completion of the youthful offender program, which takes up to two years.

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On Thursday, April 30 at about 3:30 p.m. a third-party caller stated they saw two people fighting at the hotel, according to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court by Deputy M.A. Butts.

The caller stated a woman in her 50s was on the ground, and alcohol was involved in a lengthy argument between the woman and a man in his 20s.

Deputy Butts arrived on the scene with West Virginia State Trooper Beard and Trooper Meyers.

The man, identified as Kristopher E. Justice, 29, of Riverton W.Va. admitted to picking his mother up and slamming her on the ground, according to the criminal complaint.

The victim stated physical contact occurred, but claimed it wasn’t criminal.

Two THC vape pens were found on Justice as he was being detained.

Justice was charged with domestic battery and possession of a controlled substance.

He is incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail on a $7,500 bond awaiting a hearing.

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