KINGWOOD – A Preston County couple face murder charges in the death of John “Johnny” Uphold, including his own stepson.
According to the Preston County Sheriff’s Department, Zachary Craig Saunders, 34, the stepson of Uphold, and Saunders’ longtime live-in girlfriend, Stephanie Michelle Heath, 34, were charged with first-degree murder Wednesday and were incarcerated without bond in the West Virginia Regional Jail system.
All three are from Albright.
According to the criminal report from the Preston County Magistrates Court:
On March 1, Zachary Saunders went to the sheriff’s office and told Capt. T. N. Tichnell people, including his mother, were trying to poison him. Tichnell found Saunders claims “fantastical and consistent with someone suffering from a break from reality. ” Tichnell noted Saunders hands were swollen and puffy, which is consistent with intervenous drug use, which is common cause of hallucinations.
On March 7, sheriff’s deputies responded to Saunders residence for a reported burglary in progress. Saunders reported seeing someone with flashlights in his home. Deputies found no one inside.
On March 8, at about 8 a.m. Tichnell found Saunders sitting in his truck at the sheriff’s department. Saunders told Tichnell his mother, Ronda Uphold, and his stepfather, John Uphold, were trying to kill him. Saunders said things would be coming to a head and he would end up killing John. Tichnell believed Saunders was suffering from a mental health disorder and thought the family should have him evaluated.
On March 9, deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive person lying in a pool of blood. The person, later identified as John Uphold, was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies saw a blood trail leading from Uphold’s truck.
Deputies found multiple severe wounds on Uphold’s head and face. They found Saunders and Heath at their residence, which is directly behind Uphold’s home. Saunders said they had heard a body was found at his mother’s residence. Neither suspect asked about the situation or the condition of Saunders’ mother. They denied having any contact with Uphold over the last few days.
An autopsy by the stated medical examiner on March 10, determined Uphold’s death was the result of repeated blows to his head. During the examination, multiple hairs clutched in Uphold’s hand and a longer hair on his arm were recovered. The hair on his arm was appeared consistent with Heath s’ hair.
DNA was collected from Saunders and Heath and they were fingerprinted and photographed. Tichnell began to note inconsistencies in their statements from day to day.
On Wednesday, the Preston County Sheriff’s office searched the couple’s home and found a baseball bat hidden in the wall behind drywall.
“We put a lot of man hours into the investigation,” Sheriff Paul A. Pritt said. “It was a good cooperative investigation with the State Police and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office assisting us.”
TWEET@DominionPostWV
