WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CHARLESTON – A St. Albans woman says she won't sleep easy until she knows her son-in-law is behind bars.

Though Viola Burchette is concerned for her safety, she's more concerned about her daughter Amy Carter, who is now estranged from her husband, Jonathan. On Monday, Feb. 18, in the course of moving out of her Charleston home, Jonathan attacked a male friend of Amy's with a shovel.

Though Amy was not harmed in the attack, Burchette said the friend did sustain some minor injuries. Since the attack came the day following domestic violence-related deaths in Sissonville and Roane County is the reason Burchette says she finds it hard to sleep.

Back-to-back deaths

On Saturday, Feb. 16 Kanawha Sheriff's deputies received a call of a shooting in Sissonville. Upon arriving, they found the bodies of Edgar "Eddie" Sigmond, 43, his wife, Gina Renee Sigmond, 42, and Steve Woodall, 52, a family friend from Huntington.

According to eyewitnesses, Gina Sigmond was attempting to retrieve items belonging to her from the house she once shared with Eddie. Though police escorted Gina Sigmond, Woodall, and an unidentified woman to the house, they left believing the place was secure.

However, after police left, Eddie Sigmond appeared from behind a house next door. According to eyewitnesses, he shot and killed his wife and Woodall before turning the gun on himself.

The unidentified woman was not harmed in the attack.

The Charleston Gazette reported Gina Sigmond filed a petition in Kanawha Magistrate Court for a domestic violence protective order on Feb. 11. A hearing for a final order was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The day following the shooting deaths of Sigmond and Woodall, State Police reported a similar incident in Roane County. On Sunday afternoon, a 911 call summoned police to a home in Walton.

The call was apparently made by Nolan Kuhn who shot himself after killing his wife, Candis. Nolan Kuhn survived is apparent suicide attempt, and was taken by helicopter to Charleston Area Medical Center, General Division following the shooting.

Charges pending

Prior to the horrific incidents in Sissonville and Roane County, Burchette said the decision was made to move Amy out of the home she once shared with Jonathan on Pine Dr. in Charleston to an undisclosed location. Restraining orders never stopped Jonathan from harassing or attacking Amy, Burchette says.

In fact, court records show charges were pending against Jonathan from violating a final protective order Kanawha Family Law Judge Mike Kelly granted Amy on Dec. 19. Between then and Jan. 3, Jonathan called Amy 11 times in which he left a voice-message three times.

Two of those messages came on New Year's Day between 3 and 4 a.m., and laced with expletives, court records show. All three of the messages violated Kelly's order which stipulated that Jonathan was to have no contact, either directly or indirectly, with Amy.

On Jan. 7, a warrant was issued for Jonathan's arrest. The next day, court records show he was arrested, and charged with three counts of violating a protective order.

In West Virginia, violating a protective order is a misdemeanor, and carries a penalty of 24 hours to one year in jail, and a fine of $150 to $2000.

Court records show Jonathan was released on a $2,500 personal recognizance bond. However, on the papers releasing Jonathan, Magistrate Pete Lopez emphasized "Do not call victim."

Immediately following Jonathan's attack, Burchette said the male friend filed a report with the Charleston Police Department. Court records show Cpl. M.K. Mazzie filed a complaint against Jonathan in Magistrate Court charging him with one count of assault, and one count of violating a protective order.

On Feb. 20, Kanawha Magistrate Ward Harshbarger found probable cause on Mazzie's complaint and issued a warrant for Jonathan's arrest.

He was arrested three days later, court records show.

Kanawha Magistrate Kim Aaron set Carter's bail at $2,500 cash. Court records show Aaron placed three exclamation points behind the place on the bail release form that said the defendant was "to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim (s) in this matter."

Since he did not have the funds available at the time of his arrest, Carter was ordered to the South Central Regional Jail. Carter was released from South Central on Monday when his mother, Dixie, posted the bond.

The West Virginia Record attempted to obtain a comment from Carter on the charges leveled against him. The Record was successful in reaching Carter's father, William, at his residence in Hometown.

However, he declined to make any comment on either his or Jonathan's behalf.

Court records show the assault and protective order violation charges from Feb. 18 are awaiting assignment to a magistrate.

However, a bench trial is scheduled on the prior three violation charges.

It is scheduled for April 21 at 10 a.m. before Magistrate Carol Fouty.

Kanawha Magistrate Court, Case Nos. 08-M-296-298 and 08-M-2580, 2581