Roger Lee Crum Jr., a 51‑year‑old white male from Dingess, West Virginia, died on March 11, 2018, after being fatally shot. His death unfolded in the quiet, rural stretch of Hurricane Branch along 12 Pole Creek, where he had been present with others on the day of the shooting. The details of his final moments are sparse in public reporting, but what is known paints a picture of sudden violence that shattered an otherwise ordinary day in Mingo County.
In the aftermath of the shooting, investigators quickly identified a suspect: Shane Donavon Dempsey, a 24‑year‑old man from Verdunville. According to a criminal complaint filed in Mingo County Magistrate Court, Dempsey shot Crum with a 9 mm pistol, killing him at the scene. Another man, Rufus Wallace, was also struck by gunfire and survived long enough to be transported to Logan General Hospital for treatment.
The confrontation that led to the violence was not fully detailed in available sources, leaving unanswered questions about what sparked the deadly encounter.
Dempsey was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with second‑degree murder for Crum’s death, as well as malicious wounding for the shooting of Wallace. His arrest marked the beginning of the legal process, though publicly available sources do not provide further information about subsequent court proceedings, trial outcomes, or whether additional suspects were ever considered. What remains documented is that Crum’s life ended abruptly through gunfire, and one man stood accused of pulling the trigger.
