Craig Kinder, a 36-year-old White / Caucasian male from Mt. Carbon, West Virginia, was killed in the early morning hours of June 27, 2023, in Montgomery. His death unfolded along Route 61 near the Family Dollar, close to the Kanawha-Fayette county line, where what began as an altercation turned into a deadly double shooting. Police later identified the second victim as 23-year-old Zion Mitchell of Charleston.
Both men were found shot in the street shortly after midnight, leaving the small community shaken by the violence that had erupted in a public place during the quietest hours of the night.
Montgomery Police Chief Paris Workman said officers responded with help from several surrounding agencies, including deputies from Fayette County and Kanawha County and officers from nearby departments such as Smithers, Pratt and Glasgow. Early reports described a heavy police presence at the scene as investigators worked to secure the area, collect evidence, and determine exactly what led to the shooting. Authorities indicated that the incident happened on the Kanawha County side of Montgomery, a detail that caused some confusion early in the investigation because the city sits near the county line.
Investigators believed the shooting followed some kind of confrontation, and police said drugs were found in the street near the victims. Chief Workman would not identify the type of drugs recovered, saying that information was part of the active investigation. At first, some public reporting suggested a suspect had been taken into custody, but police later clarified that no one had been arrested. Workman said several people had been detained during the investigation and questioned, and police also obtained a search warrant for a suspect's car, but those steps had not resulted in formal charges at that time.
By the day after the shooting, Montgomery police said they were still gathering surveillance video, following leads, and trying to piece together the moments before Kinder and Mitchell were killed. Workman emphasized that investigators had been working continuously since the shooting occurred. Despite those efforts, police had not publicly named a suspect, and no arrests had been announced in connection with the double homicide.
Nearly a month later, Kinder's family was still searching for answers. His sister Rhonda Kinder spoke publicly about the pain of not knowing who was responsible, saying the family was struggling with the idea that the person or people involved could still be out in the world without consequences. Family members urged anyone with information to come forward, fearing that memories would fade and that the case could lose momentum if witnesses stayed silent.
Craig's obituary described him as Craig A. Kinder of Mt. Carbon, someone remembered by loved ones for the joy he brought through sports from childhood leagues through his years at Valley High School, where he graduated in 2006. His death was described by his family as the result of a senseless shooting, and his memorial service was held in early July 2023 at Smithers Church of God. While the public details of the case centered on the investigation, his family's words showed the personal loss behind the headlines: a son, brother, relative, friend, and loved one whose life ended violently in the street.
As of the latest available public reporting found from online sources, the deaths of Craig Kinder and Zion Mitchell remained under investigation, with no publicly confirmed arrest, trial, conviction, or named suspect. Police had described the case as a double homicide, said the shooting may have involved drugs, and continued seeking information from anyone who knew what happened near the Family Dollar on Route 61 just after midnight on June 27, 2023.
