On May 26, 2021, a fatal shooting occurred at a GoMart gas station located on Summers Addition Road in Milton, West Virginia. The victim, James Anthony Oldham, a 54-year-old resident of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident unfolded after Carl Rose Jr., a 40-year-old man from Milton, intervened in a domestic dispute between Oldham and his wife.
According to the Milton Police, the altercation turned violent when Rose shot Oldham in the parking lot of the gas station. Witnesses and investigators reported that Oldham attempted to flee the scene, but Rose pursued him and shot him multiple times in the back.
Carl Rose Jr. was promptly detained by authorities at the scene, and a gun was confiscated from him. He was subsequently charged with the murder of James Anthony Oldham. The case against Rose was built on the premise that he had inserted himself into the domestic dispute, leading to the fatal confrontation.
The trial for Carl Rose Jr. began in December 2022, with Cabell County Prosecutor Corky Hammers presenting the state's case. During the trial, Milton Police Lt. Kyle O'Dell testified, detailing the number of times Rose fired his weapon. The defense argued that Rose was justified in the shooting, a claim that was central to their strategy.
After several days of testimony, including opening statements and witness accounts, the jury deliberated on the case. On December 17, 2022, a Cabell County jury found Carl Rose Jr. not guilty of second-degree murder, acquitting him of the charges related to the death of James Anthony Oldham. The acquittal was based on the jury's acceptance of the defense's argument that the shooting was justified.
