Morgantown Police have not confirmed an official motive for a fatal shooting early Sunday morning, but the suspect, Eric Alastaire Sneed, 34, and victim, Marcelius Likely, 34, have crossed paths at least once before and both have a history of violent crimes.
In 2008, Sneed was on the other side of the gun and was shot several times and suffered critical injuries during a fight at a bar in Fairmont — Likely was named as the suspected shooter.
On April 1, 2008, The Dominion Post reported Fairmont Police charged Likely with malicious wounding for shooting Sneed and arrested two others involved in the altercation.
MPD officials were unable to respond in time for this report to requests for comment on the previous encounter being a possible motive for Sunday’s shooting.
During his arraignment for the current charge of first-degree murder, Sneed also pleaded not guilty to an unlawful wounding charge from a 2013 incident in which he hit a female victim in the face, knocking her unconscious.
The criminal complaint from the 2013 charge said the female victim suffered a fractured bone, several loose teeth and facial injuries. A $50,000 bond was set for the charge; however, Sneed is currently being held without bond for the murder charge.
Sneed was also found guilty in a 2014 U.S. District Court. That charge — distributing cocaine near a school for which he was eventually granted a reduced sentence of just over four years.
Court records show he was also sentenced to 2-10 years for malicious assault and 3-15 for attempted murder in 2013. According to the Bureau of Prisons, he was released Oct. 29, 2021.
Likely had a criminal history as well and was sentenced to jail time and probation for a 2017 possession and fleeing charge, and a 2021 domestic battery.
Likely was also indicted in 2016 on three counts of malicious assault. Court records show he made a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to unlawful assault — a lesser charge — and was sentenced to probation and home confinement after he committed a firearm violation.
Likely had been released from home confinement in May 2021.
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