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PETERSBURG – A Grant County grand jury will hear a case involving a former Tucker County resident who allegedly murdered another Tucker County man in Dolly Sods 10 years ago.
Richard William Nichols, 65, is charged with one count of first and second degree murder, a felony. He is currently being held in the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail with no bond.
According to jail records, Nichols was booked on Sept. 2. Grant County Magistrate Emory Feaster found probable cause against Nichols on Sept. 9, according to magistrate court records. Nichols’ case will now be brought before a Grant County grand jury for consideration. If Nichols is indicted, Grant County Circuit Judge F. Cody Pancake III will preside over the case.
Nichols is accused of murdering 25-year-old Ivan “Vanya” Perlis in 2016.
According to reports, on Nov. 12, 2016, Grant County 911 received a call regarding human remains found in a remote area of Dolly Sods near Brushy Ridge Road. Officers with the West Virginia State Police Moorefield/Petersburg Detachment responded to the area, and the remains were later determined to be Perlis.
Officers found there were three bullet holes in the back of Perlis’ skull, with five bullet fragments in total being recovered from the skull, the reports state. It was determined that Perlis was shot with three .22-caliber bullets fired from a rifle. Officials determined Perlis was killed between Oct. 3 and Oct. 5, 2016, a month before his remains were found.
Nichols was identified as a suspect after police learned there had been a dispute between him and Perlis prior to Perlis’ death, reports state. Both Perlis and Nichols lived on the same property in the Dry Fork area.
In January 2017, Nichols allegedly told police he and Perlis had an altercation over the theft of a bandana that Nichols said belonged to a deceased friend. Nichols allegedly said that, during this altercation, he picked Perlis “up by the neck” and shook him. The property owner reportedly confirmed that the altercation took place.
Reports state that Nichols told police Perlis had loaned him money once, but he said they never exchanged money any other time and that Perlis did not owe him. Police noted that, later in the interview, unprompted, Nichols allegedly said that "a thief's a thief and you steal from me, I'm done with you." Nichols allegedly later added that he moved on from the dispute and even bought Perlis cigarettes after.
Police noted that Nichols' account of when he last saw Perlis changed repeatedly during interviews. During an interview with police in May 2017, Nichols provided descriptions about a previously described mystery man that he referred to as "Snowman." Nichols allegedly said “Snowman” had pulled a gun on him and Perlis in Dolly Sods and then Perlis had left with “Snowman.”
Nichols described “Snowman” as a white man in his late 30s to early 40s with clean-cut short hair, wearing a visor and a medium green cloth jacket, with a green logo on the back, police documents state. “Snowman” was said to have no facial hair, big ears and blue-green eyes. Later that month, police would perform a second polygraph examination on Nichols. It was indicated that Nichols had allegedly lied on questions about whether or not Perlis left with “Snowman” in Dolly Sods, and about whether or not Perlis was alive the last time Nichols saw him.
In October 2017, troopers interviewed a witness who said that, on the day Perlis went missing, he had seen Nichols and Perlis leave together in Nichols' truck toward Dolly Sods, reports state. The witness said Nichols returned around four hours later and had allegedly told the witness that Perlis "would not be back."
In 2024, the same witness told police during two separate interviews that Nichols was reportedly wearing different clothes when he returned from Dolly Sods. The witness also told police Nichols allegedly said he had put three bullets in Perlis' head and burned his blood-stained clothes. Officers asked the witness if he knew about any firearms Nichols owned, and he replied Nichols had carried a .22-caliber pistol in his truck.
The witness also allegedly told police why Nichols may have wanted Perlis dead, reports state. According to the witness, prior to Perlis’ disappearance, another individual and Perlis had broken into a house together and stole several items. When the two returned to take more items, they were caught and the property owner had taken a picture of Perlis. T
he witness said he and the other individual were worried that Perlis would implicate the other individual in the theft. The witness said Nichols had “likely” spoke with the other individual about the matter, allegedly portraying himself as a hitman. Nichols allegedly told the other individual that he would "take care of the problem.” The witness reportedly said he did not tell police any of this before as he did not want to be involved. Nichols had testified in the witness’ 2020 court case and allegedly "lied about the whole thing,” inciting the witness to cut ties with him.