In the quiet community of Big Bend, West Virginia, the life of 77-year-old Eugene Stevens, a Caucasian male, came to a violent end on December 5, 2017. What began as a home invasion escalated into a fatal exchange of gunfire, leaving the elderly homeowner dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Stevens did not fall without a fight, however, as he managed to return fire and critically wound one of his assailants.
The investigation into Stevens' death quickly unraveled a plot involving several individuals. An acquaintance discovered Stevens unresponsive in his Cain Road residence and alerted authorities. The case broke open when Travis Boggs, 25, of Chloe, West Virginia, was left at a local emergency room with gunshot wounds to the stomach and head. Investigators linked Boggs' injuries to the shooting at Stevens' home. It became clear that Stevens had shot Boggs while defending himself during the home invasion.
A red Ford Explorer, believed to be stolen and used by the suspects to flee the scene and drop off Boggs, was later found abandoned and burned.
Authorities identified and arrested three other suspects in connection with the murder and home invasion: Evan Lee Hersman, Jamie Lee Miller, and Heather Davis. The group faced a litany of charges, including murder, armed robbery, conspiracy, arson, and destruction of property. Evidence gathered by the West Virginia State Police, including video surveillance, played a crucial role in piecing together the events of that tragic day and bringing the suspects to justice.
The legal proceedings that followed saw the accused face trial for their roles in Eugene Stevens' death. In a seven-day jury trial, Jamie Lee Miller and Evan Lee Hersman were found not guilty of murder but were convicted of armed robbery in the first degree and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Heather Davis was found guilty of conspiracy to commit armed robbery. For their crimes, Miller and Hersman were each sentenced to fifty years in the state penitentiary for armed robbery and an additional one to five years for conspiracy.
