William Morva
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William Morva (also William Charles Morva) is a 24 year old who allegedly killed two people, including sheriff's deputy Eric Sutphin and hospital security guard Derrick McFarland, in the town of Blacksburg, in Montgomery County, Virginia near the Virginia Tech campus. He had escaped from custody and led police in a search on August 21, 2006, before being recaptured.
Morva had been in custody awaiting trial for a 2005 attempted armed robbery of a Deli Mart. Morva and an accomplice allegedly attempted to enter the closed store, but left, after discovering that the door was locked. [1]
While in jail, he was taken to Montgomery Regional Hospital on August 202006 for a sprained leg and wrist when he overpowered an officer who was transporting him there. He seized the officer's service pistol and assaulted the officer, and upon fleeing also shot and fatally wounded Derrick McFarland, a security officer at the hospital.
This initiated a manhunt for Morva, who, early on the first day of the fall semester August 212006, shot and killed an Montgomery County sherrif's deputy, Cpl. Eric E. Sutphin, on the Huckleberry Trail near the Virginia Tech Campus. After rumors of Morva holding up a hostage in Squires student center spread (Police reports and information overheard on police scanners has since given the impression that this was not the case), Virginia Tech cancelled classes and closed campus. [2]
Morva was never a student of Virginia Tech, but has connections to the community. He had a part in a low-budget 2005 science fiction movie called River of Dread produced in the Blacksburg area.[3]
Morva is a 5'10", 160 pound white male with brown hair, green eyes, and an underbite.
Police had reported looking for Morva on Ramble Road near the Virginia Tech Airport. Police had advised residents to stay indoors and to lock their doors.
At 3:36 pm EDT August 21, 2006, Montgomery County police reported over the police scanner that William Morva was captured and taken into custody. He was captured west of the rugby fields on the Virginia Tech campus.[4][5]
Timeline of Events
- Early Sunday morning: Morva was transported from the Montgomery County Jail in handcuffs and leg irons.
- Sunday, 2:30 a.m.: Morva wrestled a gun away from a sheriff's deputy while awaiting treatment at Montgomery Regional Hospital and then wounded the deputy and shot Derrick McFarland
- Monday, 7 a.m.: Blacksburg sheriff's deputy Eric Sutphin was shot near Huckleberry Trail and Tech Center Drive.
- Monday, 10:30 a.m.: The search for Morva is extended to the campus of Virginia Tech, where classes were canceled and students were told to stay in their residences.
- Monday, 3:40 p.m.: Morva's arrest is announced.
References
- ^ http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/79080
- ^ http://www.wsls.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSLS%2FMGArticle%2FSLS_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190094743&path=!news!localnews
- ^ http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/xp-29580
- ^ http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2006&itemno=434
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/21/virginia.escapee.ap/index.html
External links
- CNN article
- Roanoke Times Article
- Original Arrest Article in the Roanoke Times
- Virginia Tech emergency statement
- Timeline from the Richmond Times-Dispatch
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