BECKLEY – The widower of a woman that was the subject of a missing persons case in 1977 has filed a suit against law enforcement after the woman's remains were identified earlier in 2017.
Julian Kent Dodd, individually and as executor of the estate of Margaret Dodd, filed a complaint Nov. 20 in Raleigh Circuit Court against Raleigh County Sheriff's Department, Steven Tanner and Raleigh County Commission alleging intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff's wife Margaret Dodd was the focus of a missing persons investigation in 1977. The suit states in 1993, skeletal remains were discovered in Raleigh County that were determined by Tanner to be the remains of another missing woman from Fayette County.
The suit states the remains of the missing Fayette County woman were discovered in 2016, and that the plaintiff identified the remains found in 1993 as those of Margaret Dodd in February. Those remains were positively identified by forensics as those of Margaret Dodd in July.
The plaintiff holds Raleigh County Sheriff's Department, Tanner and Raleigh County Commission responsible because the defendants alleged actions caused the plaintiff to suffer severe emotional distress.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against the defendant to fairly compensate the plaintiff, special damages, general damages, interest, court costs and any further relief this court grants. He is represented by Kevin P. Davis in Charleston and William P. Dean in Saint Albans. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Andrew Dimlich.
Raleigh Circuit Court case number 17-C-617-D