Jason Lee Perry, a 40-year-old White / Caucasian male from Dunlow, West Virginia, died in the early morning hours of December 5, 2023, after a shooting in the Blue Moon Hollow area of Wayne County. What began in the darkness outside a rural residence quickly became a homicide investigation, with West Virginia State Police troopers and Wayne County sheriff’s deputies responding to reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, Perry was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
According to public reporting based on the criminal complaint, witnesses told investigators that Perry was inside a residence when he heard a gunshot outside. He went to check on a dog, and authorities later alleged that the dog had been shot first. When Perry went outside to see what had happened, investigators said he was shot as well.
Reports described the scene as occurring along Blue Moon Hollow near Dunlow, a small Wayne County community where the killing brought a heavy law-enforcement response.
Investigators quickly focused on Chester Ray Mollett, 64, also of Dunlow. West Virginia State Police said information developed during the investigation led them to Mollett, and a State Police Special Response Team took him into custody without further incident. Authorities said Mollett was expected to be charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Public reports also stated that Mollett was held without bond at the Western Regional Jail after his arrest.
Court-related reporting later gave more detail about the alleged motive and the sequence of events. According to accounts of the criminal complaint, Mollett allegedly admitted that he had been waiting outside the residence for Perry because he was tired of Perry allegedly “stealing from and harassing” him. Investigators also reported that Mollett had a prior felony manslaughter conviction in Kentucky, which was cited in connection with the felon-in-possession charge.
The case moved forward after Mollett appeared for a preliminary hearing in Wayne County on December 19, 2023. A judge found enough evidence for the case to be sent to a Wayne County grand jury. At that stage, Mollett remained charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with Perry’s death. Publicly available reports located on the case describe the arrest, charges, and grand-jury referral, but they do not show a reported trial outcome or conviction in the sources reviewed.
