FLINN TRIAL UNDERWAY IN WIRT'S DOUBLE MURDER CASE

(12/06/2006)
Testimony continues today in the trial of a Wirt County man who has been charged with the murders of Russell Ray Eastham and Sylvia L. Fittro in April, 2005.

Charged is Roger Dean Flinn, 46. The trial was transferred to Wood County Circuit Court.

Wirt County Prosecutor Leslie Maze told jury how Flinn and Daniel Neptune showed up at the victims house, both drinking heavily, with Flinn crashing through the door and shooting Eastham, then Fittro and allowing a 10-month-old girl to survive.

Neptune had sold Flinn a .380-caliber Lorcin semi-automatic pistol, which Neptune has been charged with stealing.

The prosecutor said Flinn and Eastham had problems with each other, saying the two had a physical altercation a few weeks prior to the murder, and that Eastham was planning to file assault charges against Flinn.

Defense attorney Keith White focused the case away from Flinn, implicating a greater role by Neptune.

White went on to say that after the incident, Neptune had burned his own boots the next day, saying he is the only witness pointing the finger at Flinn, a witness that makes untrue statements that "contradict one another."

"Not one shred of scientific evidence points to Mr. Flinn." White said.

Sgt. K.G. McCord of the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Unit, said there was so much blood in the house it would have been difficult to move through without getting it on one's shoes.

The case continues today.