Cory Tyler Garvin-Ward, a 31-year-old White / Caucasian male from Birch River, died on January 28, 2023, after a domestic-related shooting in the Dille community of Clay County, West Virginia. What began as an afternoon disturbance at a home on Youngs Monument Road quickly became a fatal family tragedy. West Virginia State Police reported that troopers were called to the scene at about 5:22 p.m. and found Cory suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Troopers and others at the scene tried to keep Cory alive, with CPR being performed before emergency medical help arrived. He was taken to Summersville Memorial Hospital, but he was pronounced dead there. Early reports noted some confusion over county lines because the people involved were from Birch River in Nicholas County, but authorities later identified the shooting location as Dille, in Clay County.
Investigators said the shooting followed an argument between Cory and his brother over stolen property.
According to the criminal complaint and State Police reports, Zachary Trace Garvin-Ward, then 21, was identified as the person accused of firing the shot that struck Cory in the chest. Zachary was secured at the scene, placed under arrest, and charged with murder. He was processed and taken to Central Regional Jail to await court proceedings, with early reports stating he was being held without bond.
The case later widened beyond the initial arrest. In November 2023, court records showed that Cory’s mother, Tamra Garvin, 51, had also been indicted in connection with his death. She and Zachary Trace Garvin-Ward were indicted together on charges that included murder, use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and conspiracy. Reports at the time said Tamra Garvin had been arrested on a capias warrant and was being held at Central Regional Jail with no bond set.
After the indictments, Tamra Garvin and Zachary Trace Garvin-Ward both pleaded not guilty in Clay County court. Public reports available online describe the charges, arrests, indictment, and pleas, but they do not show a final conviction or sentencing outcome in the sources located. The known record of the case is that Cory’s death was treated as a homicide arising from a family dispute, with his brother first arrested at the scene and his mother later indicted alongside him as the prosecution moved forward.
