GUILTY VA - James 'J.W.' Sword, 26, found murdered, Verona, 6 Jan 2006

[PrayersForMaura]

VERONA - A fight over a methamphetamine pipe led to the fatal stabbing of Staunton resident James Wesley Sword, whose body was left along Berry Farm Road late Friday, two days before his 27th birthday.

His yet-to-be-named attacker, an Augusta County man in his 40s, landed in police custody less than a half-hour later for an unrelated fender bender, authorities said.

That’s when they learned of the murder.


More: http://www.newsvirginian.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WNV/MGArticle/WNV_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769217140&path=!news!localnews

 

[OkieGranny]

From July 2006:

http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/3356296.html

Donald Johnson was convicted of first degree murder in the January death of James Sword. The verdict only took the jury 38 minutes to decide and just 10 minutes to recommend a sentence of life in prison...

Prosecutors call the crime gruesome, with investigators unable to identify Sword's body at the scene. Officials say the only thing holding his head to his body was his backbone.