Pair could face death penalty in Lynch Station killing

By Chris Dumond

Published: November 4, 2008

Two men could face the death penalty if convicted in a May slaying in Campbell County, according to new charges released after a Monday morning grand jury meeting.

After their arrests this spring, Alphonso Lamont Destin, 21, and Renauldo Sinclair Oliver, 23, had been charged with first-degree murder in the May 23 slaying of Lynch Station resident Wilbur West at his Leewood Road home.

The maximum penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison. However, Virginia law allows for the death penalty in cases where murder is committed in the course of a robbery.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Neil Vener confirmed Monday that Destin and Oliver were indicted by the grand jury on one count each of capital murder, robbery and burglary while armed with a deadly weapon. Both men also were indicted on three counts each of use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Vener said he could not comment on the new charges. Lawyers for the men could not be reached for comment Monday.

Jim Mayhew found West’s body on May 25 when West, his friend and cousin through marriage, didn’t come to church that Sunday morning.

West was discovered shot, lying near the doorway to his house, where he lived alone.

“It was a ruthless event,” Mayhew said Monday. “Considering that it was not a lot of money involved — that’s the sad thing, too. A man lost his life over a few dollars.”

Investigators testified in earlier hearings that West was robbed of about $30.

Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Dwayne Wade testified at earlier hearings that Destin and Oliver planned to rob West. Wade said the men implicated each other in interviews.

Oliver told police that Destin came along as “muscle,” and shoved the 69-year-old man to the ground during the robbery, Wade testified.

Destin, in turn, told investigators that Oliver shot West in the head while he was on the ground, Wade said.

The investigator testified that an autopsy found the fall alone could have killed West. Investigators also matched a bullet dug from the floor of West’s home to a pistol found at Oliver’s girlfriend’s home, also on Leewood Road.

The Rev. Rick Dellinger said in an earlier interview that when West was missing, church members knew something was wrong.

“Wilbur was normally the first one there, almost like setting the clock,” Dellinger said.

Both men are jailed without bond. Trial dates have not been set.