William Wayne Harmon III, a 31-year-old White / Caucasian male from Culloden, West Virginia, died in the early morning hours of June 24, 2024, after a family dispute turned into a fatal shooting at a residence on Charleys Creek Road. The call to law enforcement came shortly after midnight, around 12:30 a.m., when Seira Harmon, identified in reports as William's 25-year-old sister, called 911 and said she had shot her brother. By the time Cabell County deputies arrived, William Harmon III was found dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.
The scene deputies encountered was described as chaotic and deeply tragic. Investigators reported that two other men were injured during the incident, including William's father. According to the criminal complaint, Seira Harmon told deputies that she had aimed a gun at William because he was allegedly pointing a gun at her significant other. She reportedly said she thought the firearm was on safe.
A gun believed to have been used in the shooting was later found in a bush where she had allegedly thrown it, and investigators also reported finding four spent shell casings in the area where she had been standing. Deputies said they also found another gun under the center console of William's vehicle, along with two spent casings.
At a preliminary hearing in July 2024, the case moved forward after a magistrate found probable cause. A Cabell County sheriff's deputy testified that the original call involved a report of a woman who had shot her brother and had her fiancé at gunpoint. Testimony also indicated that Seira Harmon and her fiancé had been out drinking earlier that night before returning home. According to the deputy's account of her statement, William came down the hill, an argument followed, and a gun became part of the confrontation. Prosecutors noted that Seira Harmon initially stated on the 911 call that she shot William in the back of the head and later said it was an accident. Her defense attorney argued there was no evidence of animosity between the siblings and no apparent motive suggesting she had intended to murder her brother.
Seira Harmon was arrested after the shooting and initially charged with first-degree murder. As the investigation continued, the case shifted from the first allegations made in the immediate aftermath toward a different legal resolution. In April 2025, prosecutors said she had agreed to a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to felony wanton endangerment as part of a deferred adjudication agreement. Under the terms reported by prosecutors, she was to be placed on probation for three years, and if she successfully completed that probation, she would be allowed to enter a guilty plea to misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. Cabell County Prosecutor Jason Spears said that after further investigation by the sheriff's office and his office, that outcome reflected the charge that fit the circumstances.
William's obituary described him as a Culloden resident born in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of William Wayne Harmon Jr. and Melissa Dawn Harmon. He was survived by his sons, Bentley Harmon, Jace Freeman and Gabriel Nelson, as well as sisters Jessica Dawn, Amber Nichole and Seira Roshell Harmon. His funeral service was scheduled for July 6, 2024, at Forest Memorial Park in Milton, with Wallace Funeral Home assisting the family. What began as a family conflict inside a Cabell County home ended with William's life cut short, other relatives injured, and his sister facing criminal responsibility through a plea agreement that reduced the original murder charge but still tied the case to the fatal shooting that claimed him.
