WVU-P MATH TEACHER MURDER SUSPECT

(03/10/2005)
A math teacher at West Virginia University-Parkersburg has been arrested as the suspect of a double murder on February 5th, where the victims were burned in their 19th Street, Parkersburg house.

Officials at WVU-P said Spencer was an adjunct faculty member in the math department, a part-time employee who has taught at WVU-P for four or five years.

Drew Edwin Spencer, 33, a neighbor of the victims was arrested yesterday afternoon by Parkersburg Police. Officials said Spencer was calm and collected during the process, before he was taken to North Central Regional Jail.

Authorities said Spencer allegedly went to the residence of John Nestor III and Tracy Thompson and became involved in a physical altercation with the victims.

The complaint says he allegedly disabled Nestor and Thompson before setting a fire in the residence that "resulted in the deaths of both" individuals.

Police said Spencer was an acquaintance and neighbor of the victims.

A third burned body found in Mineral Wells the same weekend has not been identified. Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Ginny Conley, says, at this point, investigators do not believe the crimes are connected. "I'm not completely eliminating it, but right now there is no evidence that is connecting them, other than the fact that there were three dead bodies, burned within a short period of time, in a County that doesn't have this kind of crime on a regular basis," said Conley.

Composite photo of third body found at Mineral Wells