MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Police in Morgantown continue their investigation into the Nov. 20 shooting of Richard Demoan Hall. Hall was found dead from gunfire in the 500 block of Brockway Avenue around 3 a.m.
In the hours following the incident, police officers and detectives scoured the area for evidence and began to speak with potential witnesses.
“There was a suspect developed, or a person of interest, and the detectives are working to bring that to a resolution,” Morgantown Police Chief Eric Powell said.
Many residents in the neighborhood have responded to the request from police to provide video surveillance, Ring Doorbell footage, and statements. Powell said the support from the residents in the area has been a big help to investigators.
“Some individuals in the neighborhood have sent videos of interest,” Powell said. “I won’t say they are persistent in the investigation, but we have had several people reach out to the Detective Division, and obviously we are very appreciative.”
Evidence collected at the scene on the morning of the killing is being tested in a police lab. The results of those tests could lead to an arrest in the case, according to Powell.
“We’re in the process of waiting for some evidence we had collected at the scene to be processed, so we’re waiting on that,” Powell said.
Hall did have a criminal past. In 2011, he was one of 35 suspects indicted as part of an investigation into the activities of the Maryland-based subset of the Bloods gang called the South Side Brims (SSB). Hall, also known as “Ransom,” was known to operate around the Cumberland, Maryland, area. Hall was also charged with assisting in the escape of an associate from the Garrett County Detention Center in Oakland.
“I know there are some theories, but just given the nature of how we were made aware and the extensive work that’s been going into the investigation, I would hesitate to talk about a possible motive.”