Identities of stabbing victims released

Cheryl Keenan, The Fayette Tribune, Oak Hill, W.Va.
·2 min read

Mar. 28—Fayette County Sheriff Mike Fridley has released the names of two people stabbed Sunday in Kanawha Falls.

According to Fridley, Phillip Hughes, 61, of Kanawha Falls, died at Montgomery General Hospital as the result of his injuries after being stabbed.

Meloni Flood, 44, also of Kanawha Falls, was airlifted to Charleston Medical Center Sunday evening, Fridley reported. As of Monday morning, she had been placed in the step-down unit and is expected to have a full recovery.

"Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this senseless act of violence," Fridley said in a press release. "I would also like to commend the deputies for their quick response to the call and their unhesitating actions to perform CPR and other life-saving measures in an attempt to save the lives of the victims."

Earlier Monday, the Fayette County Sheriff's Department provided an update on the stabbing incident which occurred March 24.

According to Fridley, John H. Craig III, 45, has been charged with the felony offense of murder as well as malicious assault. Craig was arraigned Monday morning by a Fayette County magistrate and is being held in Southern Regional Jail in lieu of bond.

In an original release, Fridley said deputies received notification of the stabbing victims just before 4 p.m. on Sunday. When deputies arrived, they found Hughes unresponsive with a laceration to his head and Flood with a laceration to her body. EMS transported both victims to Montgomery General Hospital, where Hughes succumbed to his injuries, the release noted.

An hours-long manhunt for a person of interest ended when Fridley himself found Craig hiding in the weeds under the Kanawha Falls bridge.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the FCSD at 304-574-3590 or Crime Stoppers of West Virginia at 304-255-STOP.

The incident remains under investigation by the FCSD detectives' bureau.