In the quiet community of Lizemores, West Virginia, a Sunday evening in late winter took a tragic turn, ending the life of a local man and leading to a manhunt for his neighbor. James Stone, a 47-year-old Caucasian male, was fatally shot on his own front porch on February 23, 2020, following a heated confrontation that escalated to deadly violence. The events of that night shattered the peace of the small Clay County town and left a family grieving a sudden and senseless loss.
The incident began when Gary Wayne Moore, 48, also a resident of Lizemores, arrived at Stone's home on Hubbard Lane. An argument erupted between the two men, quickly turning into a physical altercation. Following the fight, Moore walked back to his vehicle, retrieved a firearm, and returned to Stone's residence. As Stone stood on his front porch, Moore opened fire, striking him in the chest.
The gunshot wound proved fatal, and James Stone died at the scene.
Immediately after the shooting, Moore fled in his green 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, prompting West Virginia State Police to issue a bulletin describing him as armed and dangerous. The search for Moore did not last long, however. The day after the shooting, facing a first-degree murder charge, Gary Wayne Moore turned himself in to the state police in Clay County. He was subsequently arrested and lodged in the Central Regional Jail, bringing a swift, though somber, end to the search for the man responsible for the death of James Stone.
