Four people were killed in West Virginia as cops searched for a man who wrote a lengthy Facebook post about how brokenhearted he was. The man, Jody Hunt, owner of a towing company, is suspected of killing friends of his, including the owner of a rival towing company, on the morning of December 1. The search ended later that night when Hunt was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his car along U.S. Route 19 close to the Monongalia and Marion County border. Despite his death, West Virginia State Police Lt. Michael Baylous told the Associated Press that detectives still have to “sit down and piece all those puzzle pieces together and find out how this all happened.”
Here’s what we know so far:
1. His Last Facebook Post Said the ‘Love of My Life’ Had ‘Slept With Several Guys’
(Facebook)
In a lengthy Facebook post, just hours before the shootings, Hunt said, “I’m deeply hurt by the events that lead up to this day. I did not chose to have the love of my life to go behind my back and sleep with several guys.” He adds, “You will not hurt me anymore.” His rant goes on as he thanks “Lisa’s family.” In the conclusion, he begs that someone takes good care of his dogs. You can watch a news report about the shooting here:
2. He Was Friend of at Least One of the Victims
One of the shooting victims, Sharon Berkshire. (Facebook)
Two of the dead people were named early as Sharon Berskhire of Westover, West Virginia, and David Frum of Maidsville, West Virginia. On the Facebook page for Doug’s Towing in Morgantown, West Virginia, it states that “Doug was murdered this morning.” The owner of Doug’s Towing is Doug Brady. The other victim has been named officially as Jody Taylor of Morgantown.
On November 27, Hunt, 39, posted on Berkshire’s Facebook page, saying, “Love doesn’t judge love excepts you as you are. Missing u!” The Associated Press reports that in November, Berkshire had filed a domestic violence case against Hunt.
Jody Hunt pictured on his Facebook page.
3. Hunt Described Himself as ‘Easy Going & Not Into Drama’
One of the many dog memes posted on Hunt’s Facebook page.
Hunt described himself on Facebook as:
I’m 38 years old single and self employed! Easy going and not into drama! Not looking for the shit either. If your married, in a relationship or looking to cheat on your other half then keep on moving! Not looking for that!
If your looking for a caring loving guy who enjoys hanging out. Anything outdoors and just living life then please pm me. Lets see where a friendship will go!
On his page, he posted numerous photos of his many dogs as well as memes and information about animal cruelty. According to the West Virginia Secretary of State website, he was the owner of J&J Towing in Westover, West Virginia. He founded the company in 2009. One Yelp reviewer of the company says:
Useless. waited an hour before I called back to find out all their drivers were in bed with the sniffles. The people who answer the phones are extremely rude too.
A business owner nearby to Hunt’s company told the AP that his yard is normally busy on a Monday morning but it was quiet on the morning of the shootings. The agency adds that Hunt had a firearm charge from 1999.
J&J Towing is shown here in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Google Street View)
4. The Shootings Occurred at 3 Different Locations
PHOTO: State Police Morgantown at one of three murder crime scenes right now. Police still searching for shooter. http://t.co/sqg69PUhXO
In total, five people, including Jody Hunt, are dead after the shootings, which happened at three different locations. Sharon Berkshire and Michael David Frum were killed in the same place, in Cheat Lake, reports the West Virginia Gazette.
The shootings happened across three locations in Cheat Lake, Westover and Morgantown, all in West Virginia. (Google Maps)
5. Police Are Searching for His Truck, Which Has the License Plate Blacked Out
Jody Hunt’s pickup truck. (Facebook)
Schools in Monongalia County were locked down as the search for Hunt went on, reports WSAZ. Hunt was considered armed and -dangerous and was driving a 2011 Ford F-150 extended cab truck, with the license plate blacked out (above). The truck had a bumper sticker which read “Rough Country.” A post from Sharon Berkshire on her Facebook page on November 7 shows a very similar looking truck accompanied with the words “New ride for this girl.”