The woman accused of murder after a fatal March 3 shooting in Morgantown waived her right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Monongalia County Magistrate Court. A bond amount was also set by the court.
Defense attorney Christopher Wilson was present in the courtroom to represent the accused, Tracy Hamby, 47, of Suffolk, Va. Hamby appeared via video conference from the North Central Regional Jail, where she is currently being held.
Hamby was a longtime resident of Beckley until moving to Suffolk, Va., Wilson said. She is employed as a legal assistant and several of her children still live in West Virginia, two of whom were in the courtroom Wednesday.
Because no bond had been set during Hamby’s arraignment, Wilson asked the court to consider setting an amount for his client, who he said has no previous criminal history.
Wilson told the court the victim, Matthew Vaughn, 32, of Charleston, was the father of Hamby’s grandchildren. The incident stemmed from an ongoing investigation with child protective services.
The shooting occured during an altercation that began when Vaughn came to the Vangilder Street apartment complex demanding the children, Wilson said.
Morgantown Police Department said it is unable to confirm the reason for the shooting due to the open investigation. Officials were unable to comment on any additional details gathered about the incident or who was living in the residence where the shooting occurred.
Monongalia County Prosecutor Perri Jo DeChristopher recommended Magistrate Judge Ron Bane set Hamby’s bond at $500,000 due to the charge of second-degree murder. Wilson countered the prosecution’s recommendation and asked the court to set the bond at $100,000.
The judge ultimately met the amounts in the middle, setting Hamby’s bond at $250,000. She will remain in North Central Regional Jail until bond is posted.
Because Hamby chose to waive the preliminary hearing, her case will now move on to Monongalia County Circuit Court and be heard by a grand jury. The next grand jury is in May.
