Plea deal for Bryant finalized
ELKINS — A plea deal for a Harman man accused of murder was finalized during a Randolph County Circuit Court hearing on Jan. 10, with the charge being reduced to voluntary manslaughter.
Dallas Ray Bryant, 71, had been indicted in June on one felony count of murder, one felony count of use or presentation of a firearm during commission of a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of false information.
According to the plea deal, Bryant may be sentenced to between three to 15 years in prison, but Circuit Judge David Wilmoth must pick a definitive amount of time in sentencing.
Bryant was arrested in November 2023 in the death of Preston L. “Patch” Higgins, 66, of Ward Road.
Bryant’s plea hearing had been scheduled for December, but was pushed back nearly a month to Friday at the request of both Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker and Bryant’s counsel, Stephen Mallow and Steven Nanners.
When asked during the plea hearing by Wilmoth what he did that made him guilty of voluntary manslaughter, Bryant stated that Higgins had “beat him pretty bad” and pulled a gun on him. After a struggle, Bryant claimed he was holding Higgins by the arm and put his own gun in Higgins’ back, telling Higgins to drop his gun or he’d shoot. Bryant then claimed that Higgins reached over his right shoulder and aimed at him, and when Bryant moved to the left, Higgins reached for his arm and that is when Bryant’s gun went off, shooting Higgins.
“So the gun was in my hand, it was my gun and it went off,” Bryant told the court. “I was scared for my life. I was panicked and I didn’t know what to do.”
Wilmoth asked Bryant if he realized that what he just described could have been a case for self-defense. Bryant said he hoped that was what he would get, but he was “advised it might go the other way.”
When asked again by Wilmoth if he wanted to enter into this plea deal, Bryant said yes.
“I have been in jail a long time, for over a year, and I got a bad heart now and I’ve had seizures,” Bryant said. “It’s not good. I’m 71 years old and I don’t see living like this long… much longer.”
Parker told the court that, during a Mirandized interview, Bryant initially stated that Higgins had taken his keys “because he was drunk” and when Bryant asked for his keys back, Higgins hit him in the head with a flashlight.
Bryant then told police, according to Parker, that when was trying to get under his truck to escape Higgins, Higgins said he had a right to kill Bryant “because (Bryant) was on his property.” After knocking Higgins down, Bryant said he took off running and heard several shots behind him. When he was able to get his keys back and leave, Bryant said, according to Parker, that Higgins was standing in the driveway as he pulled out.
After several more Mirandized interviews, Bryant stated, “I’ll give you a full confession. I’m tired of this sh**,” according to Parker. Bryant then told police Higgins had pulled a gun on him and they had struggled over the weapon.
“He stated he did not shoot (Higgins), but if he did, it was because (Higgins) was trying to kill him,” Parker told the court.
Parker stated that Bryant said he had taken the gun and had dropped it over a guardrail on Rich Mountain Road off U.S. 33. Bryant showed the investigating officer where he had thrown the gun, Parker said.
According to the criminal complaint by investigating officer West Virginia State Trooper B. K. Riffle, troopers found Higgins in his driveway on Nov. 13, 2023 with a gunshot wound to his chest, along with a bruise/abrasion to his forehead.
A press release from the 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.
Bryant will be sentenced on March 3.