February 7, 2013
Weston man pleads to misdemeanor in stepson's death
Advertiser

WESTON, W.Va. -- A Weston man faces up to a year in jail after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his stepson.

Gary Allen Wiant is scheduled to be sentenced April 1 in Lewis County Circuit Court.

The Exponent Telegram reports that the 39-year-old pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge Wednesday. He had been indicted on a second-degree murder charge.

Lewis County prosecutor Mike Smith told the judge that the victim, 19-year-old Cory Burkhart, had special needs and a history of outbursts.

Smith says Wiant intervened when Burkhart attacked his mother, Angela Burkhart. Cory Burkhart died from asphyxiation during a struggle.

Angela Burkhart faces charges of death of an incapacitated adult by a caregiver, along with unrelated welfare fraud charges.

Recommended Stories

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Popular Videos
The Gazette now offers Facebook Comments on its stories. You must be logged into your Facebook account to add comments. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal page, uncheck the box below the comment. Comments deemed offensive by the moderators will be removed, and commenters who persist may be banned from commenting on the site.
Advertisement - Your ad here
Advertisement - Your ad here
Categories
Subscribe
It's easy to follow the top stories with home delivery of The Charleston Gazette. Click here to order home delivery.