On a Wednesday afternoon in the small community of Wallback, West Virginia, the life of 33-year-old Benjamin Laughlin, a White male, was brought to an abrupt and violent end. On November 4, 2020, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Laughlin was shot multiple times inside a residence on Wallback Road. The incident prompted a swift response from the West Virginia State Police after a woman called 911 to report the shooting.
Upon their arrival, troopers discovered Laughlin unresponsive inside the home.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect. A witness at the scene identified the shooter and provided a description of his vehicle, a pickup truck with an extended cab. This information was relayed to other law enforcement officers in the area. Clay County sheriff's deputies located a vehicle matching the description in the Hansford Fork area and took the driver, 32-year-old Cody Brooks Moore of Ivydale, into custody.
Following his arrest, Moore was transported to the State Police detachment in Clay for questioning. After being read his rights, he confessed to troopers that he had shot Laughlin multiple times. Moore was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and was held at the Central Regional Jail without bond. While the investigation indicated that the two men were acquainted, the motive for the shooting was described as a dispute that had broken out at the residence where several people were present.
Benjamin Laughlin was a former resident of Arnoldsburg and a celebrated athlete at Calhoun High School, where he was a four-time LKC wrestling champion. His death sent shockwaves through the community that remembered him for his accomplishments.
