Shraman Mitra
Residents of Clendenin, West Virginia, knew David Elmore Jr. and Randall Woods to be friendly neighbors. However, a minor altercation got blown out of proportion and led to years of animosity before culminating in David’s horrifying murder. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Fear Thy neighbor: Appalachian Vendetta’ chronicles the horrific death and shows how the ensuing investigation uncovered a slaying steeped in conflict. Let’s delve into the details surrounding the crime and find out where David’s killer is at present, shall we?
How Did David Elmore Jr. Die?
A resident of Clendenin, West Virginia, David Elmore Jr. was quite popular in his community. Known as a hardworking, generous, and kindhearted man, David had a loving wife and four wonderful children. People who knew him described him as a family man who loved spending time with his loved ones. Moreover, David was quite a friendly neighbor and maintained amicable relationships with most others. It was really tragic how a long-standing conflict led to his sudden and shocking death.
On August 23, 2017, law enforcement officials were dispatched to the 4200 block of Laurel Fork Road in Clendenin, West Virginia, as neighbors claimed that they had witnessed a shooting that left at least two people injured. Once first responders reached the scene, they found David Elmore Jr., shot to death inside his truck while his aunt lay injured with non-life-threatening bullet injuries.
Without wasting any time, David’s aunt was shifted to a local hospital, where she slowly recovered from her injuries. However, David was declared dead on the spot. An autopsy later revealed that he was shot from close range with a firearm which led to his death. Thankfully, from the looks of it, the police already had proper leads to follow as several other people on the street witnessed the murder.
Who Killed David Elmore Jr.?
When the police arrived at the murder scene, neighbors immediately mentioned that they had seen David and his neighbor, Randall Woods, in an altercation before David allegedly sprayed Randall with bug spray. In retaliation, Randall drew his gun out and shot David in cold blood. Although such a spat between neighbors is common, the police, as well as locals, were flabbergasted since Randall and David had been good friends for quite a long time. However, the investigation soon revealed that there was an unspoken rule between the families that nobody should call the police in case of any dispute.
Unfortunately, this unspoken vow was broken after a robbery, which left a bitter taste in David and Randall’s mouths. Since then, the once good friends could never see eye to eye and were engaged in several altercations, which were quite vocal and at times even turned serious. When the police began asking around for witnesses, neighbors affirmed both David and Randall had been at odds for quite some time.
The families of the two men were also involved in the quarrel, and the conflict remained fresh for a long time without any probable solution. Besides, as stated on the show, neither David nor Randall was eager to bury the hatchet, so things rolled on as they were. However, on August 23, 2017, David was sitting inside his truck when he got into a serious altercation with Randall.
Although the conflict was initially verbal, the show stated how David took out a can of bug spray and sprayed it in his neighbor’s face forcing him to stop talking. That was when Randall decided to take matters into his own hands and brandished a gun before shooting David to death inside the truck. Unfortunately, David’s aunt also got injured in the sudden shooting. Thus, with so many witness statements and circumstantial evidence, authorities wasted no time in arresting Randall before charging him with David’s murder.
Where Is Randall Woods Now?
When produced in court, Randall Woods pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 2019. However, by the time Randall was sentenced, he had already served a portion of his prison term. Hence, in 2020, he secured a release from prison and returned to his everyday life. Unfortunately, since then, Randall has preferred to keep his life under wraps and maintains a limited presence on social media. Still, the show mentioned that he returned to his house in Clendenin, West Virginia, where he resides with his wife to this very day.
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