MURDER MOUNTAIN RESIDENTS SUE "UNRESPONSIVE" OFFICIALS

(08/30/2006)
A civil suit has been filed by residents of Clay County's "Murder Mountain," claiming law enforcement has been unresponsive to their calls for help.

The plaintiffs, Renee Boyd, Tommy Young, Sr. and Tommy Young Jr. are suing the Clay County sheriff, the WV State Police, the Clay County Commission and the 911 Center, asking for $25,000 compensatory damages and $25,000 in punitive damages. The suit also requests the county to pay court costs and attorney fees.

The family, who have reportedly been victims or alleged perpetrators of shootings and other incidents along Oil Field Road, aka "Murder Mountain," have filed four counts of neglect and three counts of inflicting emotional distress.

The suit says officials failed to respond when Boyd's brother Richard Cummings was shooting at their residence, and additional calls had to be made to receive assistance.

The suit says "tapes of the 911 calls reveal the calls were not taken seriously ... that certain officers and EMS workers were refusing to take the call."

It also claims the plaintiffs have been harassed by officials.

See earlier stories about Murder Mountain incidents by using the Herald's search function.