Fight over stolen bike left teen dead 37 years ago. Accused killer now arrested
What started as a fight over a stolen bike 37 years ago has finally ended with an arrest in the killing of a West Virginia teen, deputies say.
In November, 1985, deputies found a shallow grave near the train tracks in Terra Alta, about 30 miles outside Morgantown.
There, the body of 13-year-old Jerimiah “Jerry” Matthew Watkins, was buried, according to a Feb. 14 release from the Preston County Sheriff’s Office.
An autopsy report at the time showed that the boy had been stabbed in the back, and his death was ruled a homicide.
The sheriff’s office says that despite trying to find Watkins’ killer 37 years ago, the case went cold. Just days before Watkins was killed, there had been one of the most devastating floods in West Virginia’s history.
“Despite law enforcement’s efforts at the time – which also included helping countless families cope with the recent devastating flood – the case remained unsolved,” officers said.
Preston County Sheriff’s Office’s Captain T.N. Tichnell began reviewing the case in the beginning of February of this year, and he found something startling.
Back in 1985, deputies had interviewed David Monroe Adams, who was 18 at the time and living in Terra Alta. Tichnell said that when he reviewed the statements made by Adams, he found inconsistencies.
Tichnell decided to bring Adams back in for questioning.
The sheriff’s office said it “conducted multiple interviews with Mr. Adams and he eventually confessed that an argument that started over a stolen bicycle resulted in Jerry being taken into a shed and murdered.”
In court documents obtained by WDTV, Adams allegedly hit Watkins in the face before taking him back to the shed and stabbing him in his back.
Adams then allegedly dragged Watkins to a shallow hole, where he was later found dead, according to the court documents.
Deputies say Adams, now 56 years old and living in Westover, has been charged with second-degree murder and taken into custody, but they expect more charges to be filed.
“In the 37 years since his murder, countless agencies and organizations have contributed to this investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in the release. “May you finally rest in peace, Jerry.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Fight over stolen bike left teen dead 37 years ago. Accused killer now arrested."
