FLINN'S DEFENSE SHIFTING BLAME FOR DOUBLE MURDERS

(03/06/2007)

Victims Russell Eastham and Sylvia Fittro

Wirt County resident Roger Flinn is on trial again for the murders of Russell Eastham and Sylvia Fittro.

WTAP-TV in Parkersburg says "This retrial, like the one before it, is as much about the state's star witness as it is about defendant Roger Flinn."

Flinn's defense is accusing Daniel Neptune for the double murders.

Prosecutors say Neptune, who was with Flinn the night of the murders, made some "stupid mistakes" in getting rid of possible evidence, but Neptune then cooperated with State Police and Wirt sheriff's deputies investigating the murder case.

"He later assisted law enforcement in returning to the area, in recovering the firearm from that area," Assistant Wood County Prosecutor Leslie Maze told the newly-seated jury yesterday.

Maze said "Experts from the West Virginia State Police, said that the firearm recovered from that area indeed caused the death of Eastham and Fittro."

Maze said Neptune was afraid Flinn was going to kill him too.

Flinn's attorney argued Neptune kept changing his story when he spoke to investigating officers.

Every time he was giving a statement, the police would find out he was telling a lie," said defense attorney Keith White.

"And they would question him again, and he would tell a little bit more. And they would question him again...lie after lie after lie."

Testimony said Flinn (left) and Eastham had been involved in an argument several weeks before the shooting.

Defense attorney White argued there was no evidence at the murder scene that connected Flinn to the murders.

Neptune is scheduled to testify in the trial.