A 32-year-old Morgan County, West Virginia, man, Erick Shute, has been accused of killing three men over an ongoing property dispute. The men were allegedly cutting down firewood that Shute believed to be on his property, and from initial reports, it appears he shot them “ambush-style” from behind a tree. A fourth man was able to get away unharmed and alerted authorities around 4:45 p.m. on June 13.
When police arrived, the three men were found to be deceased from bullet wounds, and Erick Shute had left the area. A massive manhunt ensued for the following eight hours, in which state police negotiators were speaking with Shute and Shute was posting from his Facebook account concerning his thoughts on his actions. He claimed the killings were in self-defense, using Facebook to inform friends and authorities about his thoughts while he was on the run. The posts have since been deleted, according to the PRP .
“This was self defense. I talked to a cop and he even agreed this is an open and shut case of self defense and that they probably won’t even pursue charges. I am just waiting to talk to the prosecutor. I have nothing to hide. Media can contact me on my cell. I am open to talk. These guys stole over $20,000 pf my stuff and sold it for drugs and threatened me to my face before. They even unscrewed [sic] brake lines while [I] was asleep. Everyone not on drugs on the mountain hates them. These are known thieves and drug addicts.”
Morgan County Sheriff Vince Shambaugh has not commented on the allegations concerning the deceased men, who were identified as Travis Bartley and Willie Bartley of Hedgesville, West Virginia, and Jack Douglas of Great Cacapon, West Virginia. The men had been shot with an AR-15 rifle, according to Shambaugh.
Shute is the former frontman for the death metal band Pyrexia but had not been active with the band since 2014. He had strong ties to Pennsville, New Jersey, where he had been charged with obstructing an officer and had declared himself a “sovereign citizen,” which is someone who believes they do not have to pay taxes or follow common laws such as registration of a vehicle.
Shute described himself as an anarchist and frequently posted on Facebook what he believed to be the corruption of government and law officials. He was allegedly headed back to Pennsville after the slayings when he was taken into custody without incident in Chester county, Pennsylvania.
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Shute had been frequently known to post about his preparations for end-times and was a minimalist and survivalist. He had posted videos on his Facebook page in January 2016 of him laying in snowbanks barefoot and clad only in underwear, stating he was preparing his body to survive extreme cold temperatures. He also had posted that he bathed only in cold water.
Shute frequently posted photos of his mother and other family members, seeming to have a good relationship with them. He allegedly lived with his family in Morgan County, West Virginia, when the killings occurred. Friends also described Shute as a non-violent person and an animal lover. He had goats and dogs that he was particularly fond of. Friends said that he had been distressed over problems with a girlfriend and the death of his dog, Dakota, who died in his arms shortly before Christmas 2015.
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Shute had been stockpiling food, firewood, and other survival items and appeared to be constructing an underground bunker. Shute has previously displayed an upside-down flag in Pennsville as a sign of “extreme distress” at his interpretation of the Obama Presidency and government corruption.
Shute remains in jail without bond awaiting extradition back to West Virginia.
[Image via Erick Shute/Facebook]
