Tennant

PARSONS — A Tucker County man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday, after being found guilty of murdering his brother.

Robert Lee Tennant, 65, was sentenced by Judge James W. Courrier, Jr. for the April 10, 2023 shooting death of his brother, Edward Tennant, during a land dispute that took place on Smokehouse Road in Tucker County.

He had been found guilty of murder in the first degree and granted no mercy by a jury on Oct. 24, after the jury deliberated for around 30 minutes. 

The state was represented by Tucker County Prosecuting Attorney Savannah Hull Wilkins.

According to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office, victim impact statements were made during Thursday’s hearing by Edward’s wife and granddaughter, and a letter sent by his daughter, who lives out of state, was read by Wilkins to the court.

Tennant spoke on his own behalf before being sentenced and, according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office, stated that his brother “should have been a better big brother” and “should have set a better example for him.”

Tennant was represented by James Hawkins Jr. from Harrison County and Brent Easton from Tucker County, who wanted their client to be found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and not first degree murder, arguing that the murder was not premeditated.  

According to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office, during the sentencing hearing on Thursday, Hawkins asked the court to grant mercy despite the jury’s recommendation of no mercy.

During the trial, Wilkins called 911 Center Director Daniel Hebb, Deputy Brent Gidley of the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department, Sergeant Victor Pyles of the West Virginia State Police, Dr. Jan Shapiro from the office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Philip Cochran of the West Virginia Police Laboratory to testify as witnesses for the state. Tennant was called as a witness for the defense.

In his testimony during the trial, according to the Tucker County Prosecutor’s Office, Tennant indicated that he had not been planning and had no intention to kill Edward, but instead intended to simply confront him. Tennant also said that, while confronting his brother, he saw Edward look at a machete that was kept in Tennant’s John Deere tractor. That is when Tennant says he pulled out his gun and shot his brother.

According to the 2023 criminal complaint, on April 10, 2023, authorities with the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police responded to a shooting call. Officers found Tennant across a stream at the location and ordered him to come talk with them. He complied and was taken into custody immediately before being transported to the Sheriff’s Department Office for questioning, police said.

According to the complaint, Tennant told police he saw his brother at a telephone pole and drove his John Deere tractor to where his brother was to confront him, asking him what he was doing. He said the two argued over the property and he then pulled out a .22 handgun and shot three times at his brother.