Doddridge County Youth to be Charged as Adult in Triple Homicide

Three members of the Spencer family were killed by gunfire on September 4th. It has taken almost a month of investigation for the decision to be made by Prosecutor Brooke Fitzgerald to request a transfer to adult status for the 16 year accused in the murders. Doddridge County Circuit Court Judge Jim Sweeney approved the prosecutors request and transferred the status on Wednesday October 3rd.


Sixteen year old Doddridge County High School student, Joseph S. Spencer now stands accused as an adult in the slaying of his parents, Frederick Spencer and Dixie Spencer, and his 9-year-old sister, Patience Spencer in their home in Doddridge County, just north of the town of West Union.

The case will now head to the Doddridge County Grand Jury, which will meet on Oct. 22 and again in February. It is not clear which date the county prosecutor will bring Spencer case before the jury.

The accused himself is said to have called the police following the shooting. The Spencers' other two children were not present at the time of the shooting, their oldest daughter, Elisabeth, a Marshall University student and their oldest son, Ian.