The evening of January 2, 2021, turned deadly in Martinsburg, West Virginia, when Robert C. "Bobby" Truhan III, a 40-year-old white man, was fatally shot outside Laddie's Bar and Grill. The violence unfolded on what should have been a day of celebration, as Truhan was marking his birthday. Instead, a confrontation believed to involve members of two motorcycle clubs ended with two people dead and another seriously injured.
The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the establishment at 170 Lutz Avenue, near Edwin Miller Boulevard, leaving families and members of the local motorcycle community devastated.
At approximately 8:17 p.m., emergency dispatchers received reports of multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds in the parking lot. Deputies from the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office arrived around 8:21 p.m. and discovered three shooting victims. Truhan and Richard Light Sr., who was 52 years old, were pronounced dead at the scene. A third individual survived the shooting and was transported to Berkeley Medical Center for treatment. Authorities subsequently reported that the surviving victim was in stable condition but declined to publicly identify him, explaining that withholding his identity was necessary to protect the integrity and security of the investigation.
Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon confirmed that investigators believed the deadly encounter involved a confrontation between two different motorcycle clubs. He emphasized that the violence did not appear to be a random attack against members of the public but rather an isolated incident involving individuals associated with the groups. Both Truhan and Light were subsequently identified in news coverage as members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. Authorities did not publicly establish exactly what triggered the confrontation, who fired the fatal shots, or whether the violence had been preceded by an ongoing dispute between rival motorcycle organizations.
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division immediately began examining the circumstances surrounding the killings. Detectives spent the night of January 2 and the early morning hours of January 3 processing the crime scene, interviewing witnesses, and collecting surveillance recordings that could help reconstruct the sequence of events. Investigators sought to determine how the confrontation developed, who was present when gunfire erupted, and which individuals were responsible for the deaths. Sheriff Harmon also met with representatives of municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, along with Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Catie Wilkes-Delligatti, to discuss investigative strategies and measures intended to protect the community.
In the days following the shooting, authorities appealed to anyone who witnessed the confrontation or possessed photographs or recordings from the area to assist investigators. Sergeant T.M. Snyder was identified as a contact for information concerning the case. Investigators particularly wanted material that might establish the movements and identities of those involved before, during, and immediately after the gunfire. Although police acknowledged that the incident involved two motorcycle clubs, the publicly released investigative information did not identify a specific gunman or establish which individuals were directly responsible for shooting Truhan and Light.
Behind the circumstances of the shooting was a man whose life extended far beyond his involvement in the motorcycle community. Originally from Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, Truhan had moved to Martinsburg, where he embraced the mountain lifestyle he had long wanted. According to his obituary, he loved motorcycles, working with his hands, country music, and Philadelphia sports teams, particularly the Eagles. He enjoyed traveling through the mountains, including Skyline Drive and the Great Smoky Mountains, and cherished the opportunity to ride with his motorcycle brothers. Friends and relatives remembered him as someone who was always willing to help others, whether that meant repairing a motorcycle, changing someone's oil, or assisting with a project.
Truhan had also devoted portions of his life to public service, volunteering as a firefighter, ambulance driver, and emergency medical technician. His family remembered his loyalty, generosity, sense of humor, and ability to make those around him laugh. He was especially proud of his son, Tyler Patrick, whom his family described as his greatest accomplishment. His sudden death left his son, parents, sisters, partner, extended family, and numerous friends mourning a loss they struggled to comprehend.
The tragedy deeply affected the regional motorcycle community. In January 2021, fellow riders, relatives, and friends gathered to remember Truhan and Light during memorial services in the Eastern Panhandle. Dozens attended a gathering at South Berkeley Chapel in Inwood, with many arriving on motorcycles as a tribute to the two men. Members of the Warlocks and other motorcycle organizations were present. Because of the circumstances surrounding the shooting and concerns about possible tensions between motorcycle groups, Sheriff Harmon arranged for additional law enforcement resources near the gathering. The memorial proceeded without a publicly reported confrontation, and the sheriff expressed appreciation for the conduct of those attending.
Truhan's family also arranged funeral services in New Jersey, with a viewing and service held on January 14, 2021, at McGuinness Funeral Home in Washington Township. The family requested a private interment and encouraged memorial donations to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Their remembrance emphasized a man who loved his family, valued his friendships, and had found happiness living among the mountains of West Virginia.
Despite the initial investigation and cooperation among law enforcement agencies, publicly available reports reviewed through October 2026 did not establish that anyone had been arrested, formally charged, tried, or convicted specifically in connection with the deaths of Robert Truhan and Richard Light Sr. No verified public report identified a person responsible for firing the fatal shots or documented a final judicial resolution. The absence of a publicly confirmed outcome does not necessarily mean investigators have ceased working on the case.
For those who knew Bobby Truhan, the events of January 2, 2021, remain especially painful because they occurred on his birthday, transforming a day associated with his life into the anniversary of his death. His killing, along with the death of Richard Light Sr., left two families grieving and serious questions about the deadly confrontation unanswered.
