The Texas man accused of stabbing 26-year-old Jacob Lough to death in his Milford Street home waived his right to a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday morning in Monongalia County Magistrate Court.
The case against Jonathan Ramirez, 23, of Watauga, Texas, will now be transferred to Monongalia County Circuit Court, where he will face a grand jury.
Lough, an Ashburn, Va., native working for Learfield/Mountaineer Sports Properties in Morgantown, was discovered Jan. 16 by a co-worker on the floor of the Milford Street residence.
Police said Lough suffered severe stab wounds to his back, neck and head.
Detectives were able to collect several items of evidence from the scene, including several bandages and bandage wrappers.
Ramirez was allegedly seen on surveillance footage leaving Lough’s vehicle at a parking lot on the downtown campus of West Virginia University.
He was then tracked via video to several locations in the downtown area, including the WVU Mountainlair. Video from the Mountainlair clearly showed his face and clothing, according to court records. The footage also showed Ramirez had bandages on his hands.
Ramirez was found Jan. 17 by officers with the University Police Department.
Police said that Ramirez had bandages covering several cuts on his hands. The cuts were said to be consistent with the severity of Lough’s injuries and the bandages were like those recovered as evidence at the crime scene.
According to his obituary, Lough was a sports enthusiast who graduated from WVU with a master’s degree in sports management. He was known for his warm and genuine smile, caring heart, big hugs, loyalty to friends and family and his fun-loving personality.
His life was celebrated by family and friends over the weekend as he was laid to rest near his Virginia home.
Ramirez, who is charged with first-degree murder, continues to be held at North Central Regional Jail without bond. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
