Michael David Frum, a 28-year-old White/Caucasian man, was killed on the morning of December 1, 2014, during a series of shootings that spread across Monongalia County in the Morgantown area. Authorities identified Frum as a resident of the Maidsville/Granville area. He was at a residence off Sunset Beach Road near Cheat Lake with Sharon Kay Berkshire when investigators say Jody Lee Hunt arrived and opened fire.
Frum was found shot to death inside the residence, while Berkshire was shot twice and was discovered outside the home, with investigators indicating she may have been trying to escape.
Investigators soon connected the Cheat Lake killings to a broader shooting rampage involving Hunt, a Westover resident who operated J&J Towing and Repair. Police determined that the victims were specifically targeted rather than chosen at random. Earlier that morning, Hunt had gone to Doug's Towing in Westover and fatally shot owner Doug Brady, with authorities saying a long-running dispute over the towing business appeared to have contributed to that killing. Hunt then traveled across the Morgantown area to the residence where Berkshire was staying with Frum.
The circumstances surrounding Frum's killing appeared to be rooted in Hunt's deteriorating relationship with Berkshire. Berkshire had previously been romantically involved with Hunt and had filed domestic-violence proceedings against him. Reports indicated that she sought protective orders in 2013 and again in 2014, although neither remained in effect at the time of the shootings. By December, Berkshire was romantically involved with Frum. Monongalia County Sheriff Kenneth Kisner said investigators also learned of a message apparently sent by Frum to Hunt indicating that Berkshire was now with Frum. Police believed the message may have further angered Hunt. In a lengthy social-media posting around the time of the killings, Hunt wrote about feeling betrayed over Berkshire's relationships and expressed resentment toward people he believed had hurt him.
After killing Frum and Berkshire, police said Hunt continued across the county and went to the home of his cousin and business associate, Jody Taylor. Taylor was shot outside a residence off Sweet Pea Lane and later died. Investigators said Taylor may also previously have been romantically involved with Berkshire. By the end of the morning, four people—Frum, Berkshire, Brady and Taylor—had been fatally shot at three separate locations, setting off an extensive search involving state and local law enforcement. Schools were placed on lockdown as officers warned the public that Hunt was armed and dangerous and searched for his black 2011 Ford F-150.
The search continued for roughly 12 hours. That evening, authorities located Hunt's pickup in a wooded area in southern Monongalia County near a power-line right-of-way. Hunt was found dead inside the vehicle from what police described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death meant there would be no arrest, criminal trial or conviction in connection with Frum's killing or the other three deaths. Police nevertheless publicly identified Hunt as the person responsible for all four killings.
Hunt also had a prior felony record that legally prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Authorities reported that he had received a prison sentence in Virginia following a kidnapping conviction involving the use of a firearm, and Monongalia County Sheriff Al Kisner later said Hunt should not have been able to legally possess the weapon used during the 2014 rampage. Investigators did not immediately determine how he obtained it. Because Hunt died before he could be taken into custody, the case ended without a conventional prosecution, leaving investigators to reconstruct the sequence and motives from the crime scenes, relationships among those involved, witness accounts and Hunt's own statements.
Frum's family remembered him beyond the violence that ended his life. His obituary said he was born in Morgantown and was survived by his children and other relatives, while family members described him publicly as a loving father, son and brother whose family meant everything to him. Relatives said he had worked detailing automobiles, in construction and at other jobs around the area. His funeral was held at Hastings Funeral Home in Morgantown on December 5, followed by burial at Mt. Union Cemetery.
