CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Four homicide cases in Kanawha County have produced criminal indictments handed up by a Kanawha County grand jury.
Charleston police began looking for Samantha O’Brien Tuesday evening after the indictments were announced. O’Brien, also known as Samantha Slater, was indicted on murder, sexual assault, robbery and burglary charges in connection with the June 2019 shooting death of Adam Swim.
Police had previously charged Lasalle Burnette in Swim’s murder. He’s been in jail and was also indicted this week. It’s alleged Burnette, O’Brien and an unknown third person robbed and killed Swim in his Ash Street Charleston home. A woman inside the home was allegedly sexually assaulted.
In a separate case, the grand jury indicted Che Lark, 45, of Charleston. He’s charged with a deadly hit and run collision on Charleston’s West Side.
Charleston police said they stopped Lark on March 6. They observed a bag of drugs on his lap. The grabbed the drugs and were in the process of arresting Lark when he put the car in drive and took off.
Police allege Lark’s car struck Heather Ross, 35, of Charleston, as she was walking her children to school near Park Drive and Grant Street. She died a few days later.
A third homicide indictment was handed up by the grand jury in the case of Charleston resident Jerry Walker, 43, of Falcon Drive. He was indicted on counts of arson, murder and attempted murder.
Walker was arrested in April after allegedly setting fire to his neighbor’s house. The blaze claimed the life of Eric Drewey White, 37.
The grand jury also indicted Gerard Spencer, 36, of Charleston on a murder charge. He allegedly killed Ronald Seawright Jr. in April 2019. The shooting took place on Maryland Avenue in Charleston.