Man convicted of throwing rocks at jail makes new threats
Share this @internewscast.com

Richard Allan Manuel (Tygart Valley Regional Jail).

A West Virginia inmate with a history of threatening behavior directed at law enforcement will be spending a little more time in jail.

Richard Allan Manuel, 52, also known in the community as “Opie,” agreed to a plea bargain this week involving two charges of obstructing law enforcement. These charges specifically involved making threats against probation, parole, court security, or corrections officers.

By submitting no-contest pleas, Manuel reduced his charges to two misdemeanors. Originally, he was facing a felony charge related to making threats of terrorist acts. This charge stemmed from a February incident at the local jail where he was held, as well as threats involving the mayor and chief of police of Elkins, a neighboring town near Monongahela National Forest.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by The Inter-Mountain, on February 21, Manuel informed an employee at Tygart Valley Regional Jail that he went through rehab and believed his felony would be dropped. He further mentioned that he planned on purchasing a gun upon his release.

The Randolph County Sheriff”s Office was directly contacted by Elkins Police Chief Travis Bennett in regard to Manuel “making threats to kill him, Mayor Jerry Marco, and shoot up Tygart Valley Regional Jail,” according to the court document.

The jail employee told the sheriff’s deputy about Manuel’s other plans.

“He then stated he had a list of people he was going to ‘take care of,'” the complaint goes on. “He specifically mentioned the Chief of Police, whom he said took him on the railroad tracks and beat the s— out of him before he brought him here. He also mentioned the Mayor of Elkins and [another man] whom he said came to his place where he was living and demanded he be arrested.”

The jail employee then said the defendant “turned his hand over and made the shape of a gun and stated, ‘That’s the smell of death.'”

Manuel allegedly put the following coda on his remarks: “If you think I busted up the jail before, just wait until I shoot it up.”

That final remark was apparently in response to prior charges over a prior incident involving the defendant and his impact on the jail.

In April 2023, Manuel was arrested for throwing rocks at the same jail, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office.

The years-old incident concerned a man who threw “a rock through the front glass doors” of the jail “in broad daylight causing damages,” according to the deputy called to the scene.

“Randolph County 911 reported that the male subject then left the property on a white in color bicycle wearing an orange in color camouflage jacket and had a tattoo on his face,” the report goes on.

The deputy said two jail employees identified Manuel — using his local nom de guerre “Opie” — as the rock-throwing culprit.

The two witness complaints are relayed in detail:

One witness reported observing the defendant lay down his bicycle in front of the regional jail prior to hearing a “bang” and then “turned around to see him throwing stuff at the doors.” Another witness reported observing the defendant walking along Abbey Road while traveling toward the jail. While waiting outside in the jail parking lot this witness then reported hearing at least two loud bangs and saw the defendant in front of the jail observing no one else in that area and provided the same clothing description also mentioning the “big tattoo across his forehead.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Agency Worker Accused of Leaving Toddler in Hot Car, Resulting in Death

Inset: Kela Stanford (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Alabama Department of…

Father Fatally Injures Crying Infant Son: Police Report

Inset: Adrian Horton (Platte County). Background: The Platte County Government Complex where…

Family Provides $250,000 Bail for Man Accused of Killing Wife During Kayak Trip

Graeme Davidson’s family today offered $250,000 as surety in an attempt to…

Prosecutors’ Attempt to Increase Sentence for Man Convicted of Killing Woman in Front of Children Fails

Prosecutors sought more jail time for James William Pualic, 45, arguing his…

Suspect in Quadruple Murder Apprehended After Killing Tennessee Family and Leaving Infant in Yard

Police have captured quadruple murder suspect Austin Drummond. The Tennessee Bureau of…

Prosecutors Reveal Father Had Large Collection of Weapons After 4-Year-Old Son Accidentally Shot Mother

News footage of David James Neff in court on Aug. 4 (KOMO).…

Hazardous New Drug Appears on Australian Streets

In an Australian first, NSW Police have charged a man with allegedly…

Father of 4-Year-Old Who Accidentally Shot Wife with Unsecured Gun Discovered with Large Stockpile of Weapons and Explosives

A father from Washington state, whose 4-year-old accidentally shot his mother last…

NCLA Aims for Court Ruling to Overturn Trump’s Tariffs

President Donald Trump listens during a briefing with the media, Friday, June…

Man Charged with Killing Pregnant Teen Expecting His Child: Prosecutor

Inset, left to right: Jurrell Davis and Jachri James-Gillett (Maricopa County Jail).…

Elderly Man in His 70s Accused of Killing 92-Year-Old Roommate

Inset: Sam Timaloa (Riverside County Sheriff’s Department). Background: The assisted living facility…

9th Circuit Criticizes DOJ Position on Alleged Discriminatory ICE Raids

Inset: President-elect Donald Trump on “Meet the Press” Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024…