Kalvon Casdorph, a 21-year-old Black/African American man, was killed on January 11, 2015, inside a room at the Motel 6 in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, where authorities said he had been staying temporarily. West Virginia State Police determined that his death grew out of a planned robbery involving people Casdorph had known for years. Police and later court records identified Terrick Hogan, Marcus Dominick Curtis and Shayla Stephenson as the three people involved in the plot.
Investigators said the events leading to the killing began after Hogan spent time with Casdorph at the Mardi Gras Casino. Casdorph reportedly had several thousand dollars in cash, and authorities said Hogan became aware of the money. According to investigators, Hogan then helped devise a plan to rob Casdorph. Prosecutors later described Hogan as the person who orchestrated the robbery, saying text messages showed that he solicited Curtis to carry it out, directed Curtis to where a firearm was located and instructed Stephenson to provide the weapon. Court records described Stephenson as the person who supplied the gun and Curtis as the person who went forward with the armed robbery.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 11, police were called to the Motel 6. Authorities said Curtis entered Casdorph's room armed with a handgun. Early investigative accounts said Casdorph attempted to take the weapon from Curtis and was shot during the struggle. A responding deputy found Casdorph on the floor suffering from gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The West Virginia State Police later described him as having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Curtis eventually acknowledged in court that he had shot Casdorph twice and then taken more than $3,000 from Casdorph's pants before fleeing.
Hogan, Curtis and Stephenson fled from the motel in a silver Toyota Camry. Police located the vehicle and attempted to stop it, leading to a short pursuit before the suspects' vehicle crashed in Charleston. All three were taken into custody. Investigators reported finding a 9mm handgun on the rear floorboard in the area where Curtis had been sitting, and the criminal complaint stated that Curtis had blood on his clothing and shoes. Authorities said Curtis admitted shooting Casdorph, while state police also reported that Curtis and Hogan had made incriminating statements about the crime.
Curtis, Hogan and Stephenson were initially arrested on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy. They were subsequently indicted in Kanawha County Circuit Court on one count each of conspiracy, first-degree robbery and first-degree murder. The prosecution's theory was that all three were criminally responsible for the killing because Casdorph died while they were carrying out their agreed-upon robbery, even though Curtis was identified as the gunman.
Stephenson ultimately reached an agreement with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, while the murder and first-degree robbery charges against her were dropped in return for her cooperation. She agreed to testify against Hogan if necessary. In August 2016, she was sentenced to one to five years of home confinement for her role in the robbery conspiracy. Authorities and prosecutors characterized her participation as providing the firearm used in the robbery rather than personally carrying out the shooting.
Curtis also avoided a trial by pleading guilty to first-degree murder. During his plea proceedings, he acknowledged shooting Casdorph twice, taking more than $3,000 from him and leaving the motel with Hogan and Stephenson. Curtis maintained that Hogan had encouraged and organized the robbery. His plea agreement provided for a life sentence with the possibility of parole, and Kanawha County Circuit Court imposed that sentence in August 2016.
Hogan's case took longer to resolve. In January 2016, he was preparing to plead guilty to first-degree murder under an agreement that would have resulted in life imprisonment with mercy, but he withdrew from the agreement shortly before it was finalized and requested a new attorney. Hogan disputed the quality of his representation, although prosecutors continued to maintain that he was the mastermind behind the robbery. A new lawyer was appointed and the prosecution continued preparing the case against him.
On August 16, 2016, Hogan ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Under the final agreement, prosecutors dismissed the conspiracy and robbery counts and agreed not to pursue an enhanced sentence based on his prior record. During the plea hearing, Hogan admitted that he had conspired to commit the robbery in which Casdorph was killed, while saying that he had never intended for the plan to result in a death. Prosecutors told the court that text-message evidence would have shown Hogan orchestrated the robbery, recruited Curtis and arranged for Stephenson to provide the firearm. When the judge asked Hogan whether he agreed with the prosecution's description of his role, he said that he did. Hogan was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, the same disposition imposed on Curtis.
Hogan later attempted to challenge his conviction and guilty plea through post-conviction proceedings, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and arguing that his plea had not been voluntary. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia rejected those claims in a 2019 decision, finding that the plea proceedings showed he had knowingly and voluntarily entered the agreement. A later habeas-related appeal was also unsuccessful in 2021. As a result, the first-degree murder conviction and life sentence arising from Casdorph's killing remained in place.
