Howard Dwaine “Wayne” Bryant, a 52-year-old White/Caucasian male, died on August 28, 2023, inside the Chapmanville, West Virginia, home he shared with his wife, Malindia Rose Bryant. Although some memorial listings recorded him as 53, obituary and news sources show he was born on September 7, 1970, meaning he was 52 when he died. He was originally from Elyria, Ohio, and had been living in Chapmanville, where his life ended suddenly in a shooting that also took the life of his wife.
The first public reports came after West Virginia State Police responded to a residence on Pierre Street in Chapmanville on the evening of August 28. A family member had gone to the home and found Howard and Malindia deceased inside. Troopers said both victims appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, and the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Response Team was called in to assist with processing the scene.
Authorities identified the victims as husband and wife, both residents of the home.
The deaths were treated as an active shooting investigation, but the information released publicly was limited. Police described the incident as isolated and said there was no known threat to the general public. Early coverage did not identify a suspect, disclose a motive, or explain whether investigators believed the case was a double homicide, a murder-suicide, or another form of fatal domestic incident. What was made clear was that both Howard and Malindia were found dead in the same residence, and that investigators were still working to determine the circumstances that led to the shooting.
No public records or news reports located from online sources showed that an arrest had been made in connection with Howard Bryant's death. No suspect was publicly named, and there were no reported charges, trial proceedings, or convictions tied to the case. The available reports consistently described the investigation as ongoing at the time of the initial announcements, with State Police continuing to examine what happened inside the Chapmanville home before the couple was discovered.
Howard's obituary remembered him as Howard “Wayne” Dwaine Bryant and noted that he died at his residence on the same date as the shooting. It also listed Malindia as his wife and as having preceded him in death, reflecting the devastating fact that the couple's lives ended together. In the public record, the story remains one with few official details: a husband and wife found shot to death in their home, a family member left to discover the scene, and investigators acknowledging an isolated tragedy while releasing no confirmed suspect or arrest information.
