Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 7, 1995 TAG: 9509070050
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Short
Robert Denver Spence, 25, died of a single gunshot wound in his left forehead on March 14. He had been visiting friends in the 600 block of Highland Terrace in Pulaski when the shooting happened.
After a five-month, extensive investigation, Pulaski police late last month turned over its report on the shooting to Commonwealth's Attorney Everett Shockley.
Tuesday, police received a letter from Shockley saying he would not take the case to a grand jury to consider for indictment, Commander Ed Hogston said.
Hogston said Shockley decided the shooting was an unfortunate event that happened after an argument between neighbors that included the use of racial slurs.
One man, a close friend of Spence's, grabbed a rifle and fired several warning shots. Hogston said Spence was shot when he tried to take the weapon from the man and the rifle accidentally discharged.
Hogston said the exhaustive investigation included sifting through several different accounts of how the shooting unfolded and bringing in John Perry, a homicide profiler with the Virginia State Police, to review the investigators' findings.
"We investigated every different angle. ... We did all we could do," Hogston said.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB