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ELKINS -- A plea deal hearing for a Harman man accused of killing a Ward Road man has been moved to January.
Dallas Ray Bryant, 71, appeared in court on Monday with his attorneys Stephen Mallow and Steven Nanners for a scheduled plea deal hearing, however both Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker and Bryant's counsel asked for the date of plea hearing to be rescheduled.
"The parties have reached a plea agreement," Parker told the court. "In speaking with counsel, we wish to schedule that entry of a plea agreement on a different date."
When asked by Randolph County Circuit Court Judge David Wilmoth if they were not ready to proceed today, Bryant's counsel answered, "No, sir."
The plea hearing was moved to Jan. 6, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Bryant is accused of the 2023 shooting death of Preston L. "Patch" Higgins. He is currently being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail without bond.
West Virginia State Police found Higgins in his driveway on November 13, 2023 with a gunshot wound to his chest, along with a bruise/abrasion to his forehead.
A press release from the Elkins Detachment of the State Police said crime scene evidence and witness information led them to consider Bryant a person of interest in the case.
According to the criminal complaint, "video footage from the Smoker Friendly liquor store in Elkins" showed Higgins to be in the store at about 3:50 p.m. on Nov. 13 with Bryant.
"After several mirandized interviews were conducted, (Bryant) subsequently admitted to no one else being at (Higgins') house with them during these events," the complaint states.
"The defendant also admitted that a fight had taken place in the driveway and there was a struggle over a gun," according to the complaint. "The defendant admitted during the struggle, he blacked out, and if he was blacked out and gotten a hold of that gun he would have shot the victim.
"The defendant also admitted that at daylight he got his truck keys to leave, and seen the victim laying there along with the gun," the complaint states. "He admitted to grabbing the gun and leaving the scene. The defendant admitted he threw the gun over a guardrail on Rich Mountain Road of U.S. 33."
Trooper B. K. Riffle of the Elkins Detachment is the investigating officer in the case.
Higgins was known throughout the Elkins area, and was a former employee with the City of Elkins, working as a custodian at City Hall and for the Street Department.
A neighbor who lived close to Higgins and wished to remain anonymous told The Inter-Mountain that Higgins had lived at his home on the Ward Road for more than 20 years.