Indictment Returned in 1999 Dempsey Branch Cold Case Murder

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — A grand jury returned an indictment of first degree murder against a Fayette County man in the 1999 murder of Jonathan Wesley Skaggs.

Alfred Clinton “Clint” Toney, 44, could face life in prison if convicted of the charges.

Skaggs, then 24, was first reported missing in August of 1999. Police eventually located charred remains at a home in the Dempsey Branch area of Fayette County.

“The rules of criminal procedure severely limit the amount of information that I am able to release in connection with this matter,” Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Harrah said via press release. “I can state that murder cases are never considered closed until the alleged perpetrator either dies or is convicted in a criminal court. The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but they never stop moving forward. I believe that the return of this indictment is an important step forward in our quest to obtain justice for Jonathan Wesley Skaggs. As with all criminal defendants, no matter what charges they may face, Alfred Clinton Toney must be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the Circuit Court of Fayette County.”