Judge finds cause send murder case to Berkeley Co. court

September 23, 2005|by DAVE McMILLION

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - An investigator testified Thursday that an 11-year-old boy told him that he saw the man charged in a July 30 fatal shooting at a Martinsburg motel standing over the victim holding a gun.

The boy and his brother, who is 6 years old, were living at the Relax Inn on Winchester Avenue with their mother, according to Capt. K.C. Bohrer of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department. Bohrer testified Thursday in a preliminary hearing for E.C. Grimes, 23, who was charged with murder in the shooting death of Ronald L. Kidrick, 30, of Ray Street, Shepherdstown, W.Va.

Magistrate Joan Bragg ruled at the conclusion of the hearing that there was enough evidence to bound Grimes over to Berkeley County Circuit Court on the murder charge.

Grimes was dating Mary Davis, Bohrer said. The 6-year-old boy's parents are Mary Davis and Kidrick.

Bohrer said the 11-year-old boy told him that Grimes was in the room at the motel where he, his brother and mother were staying and that Grimes had a telephone conversation with Kidrick.

The boy told police that Grimes said to Kidrick in the conversation, "If you want some of this, come and get it."

Kidrick showed up at the scene and after a gunshot rang out in the motel's parking lot, the 11-year-old boy said he looked over and saw Grimes standing over Kidrick in the parking lot and holding a gun, Bohrer testified.

Sgt. Gary Harmison of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department testified that he interviewed Kidrick's 6-year-old son at City Hospital after the shooting.

Harmison testified that the 6-year-old boy told him that he saw Grimes pull a gun from his waistband before Kidrick was shot.

Grimes was taken into custody in Baltimore Aug. 30 and Bohrer and another officer picked him up and transported him to Berkeley County.

Bohrer testified that during the ride back, Grimes talked about the shooting and commented that "he didn't want this to happen. He said he did what he had to do," Bohrer testified.

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