On a tragic day in November 2016, the life of Stephanie Watters, a 31-year-old Caucasian female from Victor, West Virginia, was horrifically cut short. On November 6th, she and a companion, Steven Lee Skaggs, were discovered deceased inside a residence near Victor in Fayette County. The investigation into their deaths revealed a grim sequence of events; both had been shot in the head before the house was deliberately set on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The ensuing investigation led to the apprehension and eventual conviction of three men. Brian S. Willis, then 32 and also from Victor, faced the most severe charges. In April 2021, he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. His convictions included two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree arson, and conspiracy to commit murder or arson.
At the time of this sentencing, Willis was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for unrelated convictions from 2017 for attempted robbery and attempted murder.
Two other men were also sentenced for their roles in the events surrounding the deaths of Watters and Skaggs. Charles E. Gill, who was 24 and from Victor, received a 40-year prison sentence. His convictions were for two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree arson. The third individual, 57-year-old Everette Gill of Berkeley Springs, formerly of Victor, was sentenced to up to five years in prison for his conviction on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder or arson.
