On a summer day in Nicholas County, West Virginia, the life of 37-year-old Nathaniel James Wood, a White male, was tragically cut short. On August 7, 2021, deputies from the Nicholas County Sheriff's Department were called to a residence on Hookersville Road in the Birch River area, near Summersville. Inside the home, they discovered Wood, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the neck.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and a handgun was recovered from the residence.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a domestic dispute. Authorities identified 42-year-old Nicol Petrey of Hookersville Road as the individual who allegedly shot Wood. The Nicholas County Sheriff's Office announced that they were looking into the incident as a domestic-related homicide.
In the immediate aftermath of the event, the sheriff's department continued its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting. While Nicol Petrey was publicly identified as the alleged shooter, no charges were immediately filed in connection with Nathaniel James Wood's death. The case remained under active investigation by the Nicholas County Sheriff's Department as they worked to uncover the full story of what transpired that day. There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any arrests or charges in the case.
