By AMANDA McCOLLAM, Staff Writer
(The Inter-Mountain/Suzanne Stewart)
DISMISSED — (picture caption) A correctional officer escorts Steven “Dan” Snider into Randolph County Magistrate Court Thursday for a preliminary hearing regarding Snider’s charge of second degree murder. Snider was arrested following a shootout with Leslie Woodford, who died of gun shot wounds. During the hearing, the case against Snider was dismissed without prejudice by Magistrate Rick George. Also pictured is Randolph County Deputy M.P. Dyer, right.
Second-degree murder charges were dismissed without prejudice Thursday in the case of an Elkins man who said he was defending himself when he shot another man outside of his apartment on Feb. 16. The preliminary hearing was presented before Randolph County Magistrate Rick George. Steven “Dan” Snider was charged with the shooting death of Leslie Woodford, who died early Sunday morning in Ruby Memorial Hospital. The incident began at approximately 9:30 p.m.on Feb. 16 when the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call stating that a male subject, later identified as Woodford, was threatening to kill his ex-wife and her family in the Alpena area. According to the criminal complaint, Elkins City Police officer Bryan A. Talkington responded to another 911 call less than an hour later stating that shots had been fired at Snider’s 1104 S. Henry Ave. residence. “When I arrived on scene the defendant was standing on the porch of Apartment 5,” the complaint issued by Talkington states. “The victim was laying face down in the snow in a pool of blood, near the bottom of the steps. The victim was still breathing and was rolled to his back.”
The complaint goes on to state that Snider was handcuffed and taken to city hall, while Woodford was transported to Davis Memorial Hospital and later flown by HealthNet to Morgantown.
Hours later, at approximately 12:52 a.m. Sunday, the City Police received a phone call from the Morgantown hospital stating that Woodford had died. Subsequently, Snider was read his Miranda rights and charged with murder. He was later placed in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail under a $250,000 bond.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Talkington, Snider claimed self-defense when police arrived on scene.
The complaint quotes Snider as stating, “I heard a truck pull up outside and looked to see who it was. As soon as (Woodford) saw me he took a step up the steps and started shooting. I shot back.”
According to the complaint Snider went on to say “I have the right to defend myself.”
During Thursday’s preliminary hearing, Prosecuting Attorney Frank Bush told George that he had filed a motion to dismiss the case without prejudice after reviewing evidence.
“I have looked at all of the evidence very carefully. The police and deputies did a great job with this investigation. I didn’t make this motion without a great amount of analysis,” Bush said, adding that he thought dismissal was “in everyone’s best interest.”
Snider’s attorney, John Cooper, agreed that the police had done a good job in compiling evidence.
Cooper also gave Bush credit for his decision to ask that the case be dismissed.
“Mr. Bush has done something that deserves credit. Attorneys have a duty to do what is just. It took a great deal of courage to do what (Bush) is ethically bound to do,” Cooper said.
Bush said in a phone interview after the hearing that he could not comment specifically on the evidence, but did say, that after looking at all of the evidence there was enough to suggest that the nature of the incident could be construed as self-defense.
“The evidence and the complaint pretty well established that the guy that died (Woodford) went to the home of the defendant (Snider) and there was an exchange of gunfire. That’s known in the charging documents,” Bush said. “We have two armed people discharging fire arms, and it’s safe to say (self-defense) would be an issue in this case. The state would have the burden of proving it wasn’t self-defense in nature.”
George accepted Bush’s motion to dismiss the case without prejudice. However, if more evidence comes out in the future, Bush could choose to charge Snider and take the case to the grand jury for possible indictment.