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Thread: James Michael Wright Sentenced to Three Consecutive Life Terms in 2019 VA Multiple Slayings

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    James Michael Wright Sentenced to Three Consecutive Life Terms in 2019 VA Multiple Slayings









    UPDATE: Sheriff labels Mendota man as suspected serial killer

    By WCYB Digital News

    Washington County, Virginia Sheriff Fred Newman described a Mendota man jailed for the murders of three women as a serial killer.

    Newman gave information about the three victims--two from Northeast Tennessee and one from Cobb County, Georgia--and their suspected murderer James Michael Wright, who admitted to police that he killed the victims but claims two of the deaths were accidental.

    The sheriff said one of the major breaks in the case came when the cell phone of one of the missing victims, Athena Hopson, was discovered inside Wright's truck that was impounded following a serious crash on Nordyke Road on March 19.

    Newman said crews will continue to search the Holston River to find Hopson's body. Wright told investigators that he accidentally shot her, put her body in the back of his truck and then placed her body in the river when he said he panicked when her body came out of the vehicle.

    The bodies of the other victims--Elizabeth Vanmeter and Joslyn M. Alsup--were recovered in a wooded area near Wright's home in Mendota.

    Vanmeter, 22, was found in a shallow grave and had been reported missing since March.

    According to a Carter County Sheriff's Office report, a caretaker for Vanmeter said the woman was cognitively disabled and had the mental capacity of a 13-year-old. Vanmeter's guardian also said the woman left with Wright in the first week of February. Wright was interviewed by Carter County officers, the report said, and he told them that Vanmeter attacked him and he told her to leave his home.

    Alsup's remains were reportedly found under some logs on Wright's property, the sheriff said. Wright met the 17-year-old victim while he worked with the James H. Drew Carnival. Alsup was the daughter of one of Wright's co-workers, police said.

    Newman said that the victims were only tentatively identified and an autopsy was being conducted to verify identification.

    He also said that the weapon used in the killings, a .22 caliber rifle, has been recovered.

    During the news conference on Monday, Commonwealth's Attorney Josh Cumbow said the death penalty is on the table for the case.

    Wright is being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon.

    https://wcyb.com/news/local/update-s...-serial-killer
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Teen allegedly messaged carnival worker before she was killed, mom says

    Cynthia Butterworth said she discovered messages between her teenage daughter and 23-year-old James Michael Wright, the carnival worker accused in her death

    By 11 Alive News
    By Joe Henke and Lauren Padgett

    COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Joycelyn Alsup had a habit of leaving home, said her mother, Cynthia Butterworth. The 17-year-old had a mind of her own and would sneak off to friends’ houses – but would always call to check in. Butterworth called her a “weekend runaway.”

    “She would runaway ever since October of last year. At least every weekend she would go,” Butterworth said from her home in Cobb County. “She couldn’t stay cooped up. She would say, ‘mom, let me go out. You know, I don’t trust people here.’”

    In early March, Butterworth reported her daughter missing to the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, because this time, she didn’t come home.

    “Monday comes around and there is still no word,” Butterworth said. “She hasn’t shown up, and I’m like, this isn’t her.”

    On Monday, two weeks after Alsup disappeared, Butterworth saw her daughter’s name popping up on social media – then she saw a press conference held by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia.

    Authorities announced that traveling carnival worker had confessed to killing three women within an 18-day period. James Michael Wright, 23, said he met his victims through his travels with the carnival. That’s when Butterworth realized her daughter could be one of his victims.

    “I replayed God only knows how many times, and I just couldn’t believe they were talking about her,” Butterworth said.

    She also told 11Alive's Joe Henke that she knows where her teen daughter met the accused killer – at the carnival last year. Butterworth said Wright was working for a carnival company at the North Georgia State Fair and he offered her children free horse rides.

    Sometime later, she found social media messages exchanged between Wright and Alsup on social media, after they met at the Cobb County fair.

    “I will marry you,” Butterworth recalled the texts saying. “I’m like, ‘that’s just creepy.’ I told her not to have anything to do with him anymore, and as far as I know, she didn’t.”

    Wright got on police radar in Tennessee after a woman he was spotted with – Athina Hopson – disappeared. After detectives interrogated Wright, they obtained a search warrant to search his truck, which had been heavily damaged in an accident involving a school bus. Hopson’s cell phone was found in that truck, police said.

    On the same day police obtained a warrant to search Wright’s home, he confessed to killing three women – Alsup, Hopson and 22-year-old Elizabeth Vanmeter.

    Wright told police he shot and killed Vanmeter after an argument near her home in Carter County, Tennessee on Feb. 28.

    On March 9, one day after the teen’s mother reported her missing, Wright said he killed Alsup. He told police he had sex with her, then shot and killed her and covered her body with logs in a wooded area near his home, according to warrants obtained by WCYB.

    Wright told police Hopson was killed on March 17, after he “tripped” and shot her in the head, according to investigators. He told police he loaded her body into his pickup truck bed and was taking her to the hospital when her body fell out of his truck. Wright told police he got scared and dumped Hopson’s body in the Holston River.

    On May 10, investigators said they found two bodies on Wright’s property, believed to be Vanmeter and Alsup. One body was found in a shallow grave, the other was placed under logs. Hopson’s body has not been found.

    A firearm used in the three deaths has been recovered, according to police. Wright is held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, Virginia. On Monday, the Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow said the death penalty is on the table.

    Butterworth said she doesn’t believe her daughter would have left the state – and she believes Wright tricked her into leaving with him – or perhaps, he may have kidnapped her.

    “He needs the death penalty. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I know that sounds mean, but God forbid taking anybody’s child - a baby,” Butterworth said. “It isn’t just Joycelyn, it’s the others. Even torture is too good for him.”

    Right now, Butterworth said she’s focused on getting her daughter’s body back to Georgia, so they can plan her funeral and start the grieving process.

    https://www.11alive.com/article/news...2-7429d0a83066
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Law enforcement searching Mendota area for evidence in murder cases

    By Bristol Herald Courier

    MENDOTA, Va. -- More than 70 law enforcement officers are in Mendota today searching for evidence in the shooting deaths of three women.

    Capt. Jamie Blevins with the Washington County Virginia Sheriff's Office said officers are searching Mendota for any evidence in the deaths of three women that police believe were murdered by James Michael Wright over an 18-day period from February to March.

    Investigators recovered the bodies of Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Elizabethton, Tennessee, and Joslyn M. Alsup, 17, Georgia earlier this month after Wright confessed to committing the murders.

    Blevins said that the search party will be regrouping later today near the South Fork of the Holston River to search for the body of Athina Hopson, 25, of Johnson City, Tennessee.

    Wright confessed to killing Hopson, who is believed to have been shot and killed March 17, according to reports. He said that, while they were walking near his home, he tripped and fell twice, and each time, he shot her in the head, the complaint states.

    The man said Hopson’s body fell out of the back of his truck while crossing the Nordyke Road bridge over the North Fork of the Holston River. He said he was taking her to the hospital, but the body rolled down to the river. He said he wasn’t able to get the body back up the hill, and he got scared and dropped Hopson’s body in the river.

    Police said that it would be difficult to locate Hopson's body because of the heavy rains that have impacted water levels this year.

    https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/l...66e0c7f46.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Hearing reset for Mendota man charged with triple murder

    By Bristol Herald Courier

    ABINGDON, Va. — A court hearing for a Mendota man charged with three counts of capital murder has been reset for one week, according to Washington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow.

    James Michael Wright, 23, was scheduled to appear in a Washington County courtroom on Tuesday with his attorneys, including members of the capital defender’s office in Roanoke. The office represents indigent individuals, such as Wright, in Virginia capital cases. Cumbow said not all of Wright’s attorneys were able to be present Tuesday, so the case was rescheduled to June 18.

    Wright, who has also been charged with use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and concealing a body, is also represented by Abingdon attorney Barry Proctor, who died unexpectedly this week. Cumbow said it is not yet known how the case will proceed following Proctor’s death. He noted that only a couple of attorneys in Abingdon handle capital cases.

    Wright has been charged in the deaths of Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Elizabethton, Tennessee; Joslyn M. Alsup, 17, Georgia; and Athina Hopson, 25, of Johnson City, Tennessee.

    https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/h...ce8d769fc.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Mendota man accused of triple murder gets new attorney

    By Bristol Herald Courier

    A Radford, Virginia, attorney has been chosen to represent James Michael Wright, the Mendota man facing three counts of capital murder.

    Wright, 23, is also charged with three counts each of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and concealing a body in the deaths of Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Elizabethton, Tennessee; Joslyn M. Alsup, 17, Georgia; and Athina Hopson, 25, of Johnson City, Tennessee.

    “I am now representing him,” said James C. Turk Jr., Wright’s new attorney. “A court order appointing me was entered a few days ago.”

    Turk confirmed Wednesday that he was appointed to substitute for Barry Proctor, a longtime Abingdon attorney who died last week. Proctor, certified to handle capital cases in Virginia, was previously chosen as Wright's court-appointed attorney.

    Turk said he was selected to represent Wright by the circuit court judges.

    “I have no other comments,” he said.

    A court hearing in Washington County has been reset twice in the last two weeks. No hearing was held Tuesday, according to Washington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow.

    The court clerk scheduled a preliminary hearing date for Dec. 13 at 9 a.m.

    Meanwhile, detectives at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the deaths of the three women, who Wright previously admitted to shooting, according to court records.

    “The case is still ongoing,” Capt. Jamie Blevins said Wednesday.

    Two of the women’s bodies were previously found on Wright’s property in Mendota. Hopson’s body has still not been located.

    “We have responded to calls of suspicious items along the river and have not found any relevant evidence,” Blevins said. “The continued water level changes are hindering any coordinated searches.”

    Wright previously told detectives that the women were shot over an 18-day period from February to March. He told authorities that he dumped Hopson’s body in the North Fork of the Holston River, records state.

    Since then, however, heavy rains have made it difficult to search the river, Blevins said. Authorities have searched the river on a few occasions since Wright was arrested in May.

    Wright remains held without bail at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon.

    https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/m...20ffbb37e.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    ‘The death penalty is on the table’: Remains of third victim found, positively identified in 2019 Mendota murder case

    By Jordan Moore
    WJHL News

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) - Authorities in Washington County, Virginia said they discovered and positively identified the remains of the third victim in a murder investigation from 2019.

    The remains of Athina Hopson, 25, were found and positively identified in the Mendota area.

    Hopson, who last lived in Johnson City, was reported missing March 21, 2019.

    On Friday, Washington County, Virginia Sheriff Blake Andis said in part, “The Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded back to the scene of previous murders involving three victims in the Mendota area of Washington County. Detectives going on a tip went back to that area where the search was conducted and skeletal remains were found…the DNA analysis was conducted and we came up with a positive identification on Athina Huff Hopson."

    Sheriff Andis said a preliminary investigation on Hopson’s death is due to a “gunshot wound."

    The suspect in this case, James Michael Wright, of Mendota, Virginia, reportedly confessed to killing Hopson and two other women in the Mendota community.

    Wright reportedly said Hopson’s body fell out of his truck while crossing a bridge over the river.

    The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Washington County, Virginia was also at Friday’s briefing and discussed the charges Wright faces in this case.

    “The death penalty is on the table, he is charged with three counts of capital murder, however, it is still very early to even prognosticate what the end result might be,” Josh Cumbow said.

    https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/the-...a-murder-case/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend Neil's Avatar
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    This is just political grandstanding we all know Virginia’s death penalty is done for this year.

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    Accused Mendota serial killer appears in court for preliminary hearing

    By Kristen Quon
    WCYB News

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WCYB) — James Michael Wright, the man charged in a serial killing spree in Mendota, appeared in court for his preliminary hearing on Thursday.

    He’s been charged in the deaths of Athina Renea Hopson, 25, of Johnson City, Tennessee; Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Elizabethton, Tennessee; and Joslyn M. Alsup, 17, of Cobb County in Georgia.

    Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow called multiple officers to testify during the hearing.

    During police testimony, officers described searching 77 acres of land for the missing women, interviewing James Wright, and ultimately finding the remains of all three women.

    Elizabeth Vanmeter

    According to police, Wright told officers in a 7-hour long taped interview that he and the first victim, Elizabeth Vanmeter got into a fight over a videogame.

    He stated to officers Vanmeter ran outside his home in Mendota, and he grabbed his .22 rifle.

    Wright said he heard a noise, and thinking it was animal, he fired a shot.

    He stated to police, “it was the only thing he could do.”

    The bullet struck Vanmeter in the back of the head, killing her. Vanmeter’s body was later found in a shallow grave near Wright’s home.

    Jocelyn Alsup

    Wright then picked up 17-year-old Jocelyn Alsup in Marietta, Georgia and drove her to his home in Mendota.

    They met at a traveling carnival where both of them previously worked.

    According to testimony, Wright and Alsup went for a walk in the woods near his home.

    The gun went off and hit her in the back of the head. He told police he put her body beside a log and covered it with leaves.

    Athina Hopson

    According to testimony, Wright hired Athina Hopson to clean his trailer in Mendota. She was reported missing to Johnson City Police in March of 2019.

    They were walking outside in the woods, when he said he fell, the gun rolled, and started firing.

    She was shot twice in the head. Wright said he rolled her body in a tarp said Hopson’s body fell out of the back of his truck while crossing the Nordyke Road bridge over the North Fork of the Holston River.

    No remains were found in the river, but her body was recovered months later near the other victims.

    Legal Proceedings Continue

    Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow tells News 5 he believes their case is strong. They are seeking life in prison for Wright.

    “I think we can provide justice in this case,” said Cumbow. “I feel comfortable with what our evidence is and when this case is ultimately resolved, I think it will be a good outcome.”

    Cumbow met with the victims families on Thursday after the hearing. Some drove for hours to be there in the courtroom on Thursday morning. He said it has been an emotional roller-coaster for the victims.

    “They have to live with the case because they’ve lost a loved one,” he said. “Emotions range from horrible sadness, to rage, to anger, to frustration with how long things take in the court system, and it just runs the gamut...and of course, in this case you have three victims, so you have three times the number of people affected.”

    The case will be indicted by the next term of the grand jury. A trial date will be set later.

    Wright remains at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail. He is represented by attorney James Turk of Radford, who declined to comment.

    https://wcyb.com/news/local/accused-...minary-hearing
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Mendota triple-murder trial scheduled for January

    By Slater Teague
    WJHL News

    MENDOTA, Va. (WJHL) — The trial of the man accused of killing three women in Mendota is set to begin early next year.

    Prosecutors said James Michael Wright’s trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 9.

    Wright faces several charges, including three counts of aggravated murder, in the 2019 deaths of Elizabeth Vanmeter, Joycelyn Alsup, and Athina Hopson. Each of their bodies was found in wooded areas with gunshot wounds to their heads, according to investigators.

    Earlier this month, Wright was found competent to stand trial following a mental examination.

    https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/mend...d-for-january/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Accused Mendota serial killer pleads guilty to 3 murders, sentenced to life in prison

    By WCYB News

    ABINGDON, Va. (WCYB) — The accused Mendota serial killer was sentenced to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to three murders that occurred in March 2019, according to Washington County Commonwealth's Attorney Josh Cumbow.

    James Michael Wright killed Athena Hopson, Elizabeth Vanmeter, and Jocelyn Alsup.

    Wright had been scheduled to begin a jury trial on January 9. Wright was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.

    "I am very happy to be able to conclude this successful prosecution for the heinous murders of these three victims," Cumbow said. "My heart continues to go out to their family and friends. I want to thank the entire law enforcement community of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee for coming together to bring this killer to justice. I, especially, want to thank the people and community of Mendota, Virginia, for their assistance throughout this case and their hospitality."

    During police testimony in October 2021, officers described searching 77 acres of land for the missing women, interviewing James Wright, and ultimately finding the remains of all three victims.

    Elizabeth Vanmeter

    According to police, Wright told officers in a 7-hour long taped interview that he and the first victim, Elizabeth Vanmeter got into a fight over a video game.

    He stated to officers Vanmeter ran outside his home in Mendota, and he grabbed his .22 rifle.

    Wright said he heard a noise, and thinking it was animal, he fired a shot.

    He stated to police, “it was the only thing he could do.”

    The bullet struck Vanmeter in the back of the head, killing her. Vanmeter’s body was later found in a shallow grave near Wright’s home.

    Jocelyn Alsup

    Wright then picked up 17-year-old Jocelyn Alsup in Marietta, Georgia and drove her to his home in Mendota.

    They met at a traveling carnival where both of them previously worked.

    According to testimony, Wright and Alsup went for a walk in the woods near his home.

    The gun went off and hit her in the back of the head. He told police he put her body beside a log and covered it with leaves.

    Athina Hopson

    According to testimony, Wright hired Athina Hopson to clean his trailer in Mendota. She was reported missing to Johnson City police in March 2019.

    They were walking outside in the woods, when he said he fell, the gun rolled, and started firing.

    She was shot twice in the head. Wright said he rolled her body in a tarp said Hopson’s body fell out of the back of his truck while crossing the Nordyke Road bridge over the North Fork of the Holston River.

    No remains were found in the river, but her body was recovered months later near the other victims.

    https://wcyb.com/news/local/accused-...-jocelyn-alsup
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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