Court records detail history of Nicholas County murder suspect

NICHOLAS COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - West Virginia court records show the suspects involved in Friday night’s deadly shooting that killed a Nicholas County sheriff’s deputy and injured another have a criminal history.

Richie Holcomb, 36, who died in the shootout, was convicted of a felony in Webster County Circuit Court in 2014.

The conviction stemmed from a felony malicious wounding charge made against him in September 2013.

The sentencing order states Holcomb acted in self-defense but took a plea deal to avoid a heavier penalty if found guilty after a trial.

Holcomb faced felony charges in two separate cases in April 2017, both in Nicholas County.

In one case, he faced a sexual assault charge. In the other case, he faced a grand larceny charge. Both cases were dismissed due to a lack of evidence against Holcomb.

Holcomb’s history spans from 2005 to March of 2022 in misdemeanor cases involving battery and driving-related charges.

Brent Kelly’s record dates back to 2013 when he faced a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance less than 15 grams in Webster County.

The next case occurred in May 2018 in Nicholas County when he faced two misdemeanor charges related to driving with a revoked license and operating a vehicle without an inspection certificate. That case was dismissed in a plea agreement.

His next five cases, all misdemeanors, involved driving and vehicle-related charges.

His most recent case happened in March 2022.

He faced six misdemeanor charges. Court records show, in a plea agreement, he was guilty of driving while his license was revoked.

Kelly’s other charges in that case, including missing safety equipment and requirements for a motorcycle, were dismissed.

A criminal complaint filed against Kelly stated after the shooting on Friday. Holcomb was found dead in the camper in possession of a semi-automatic assault rifle.

Kelly will be arraigned Thursday in Nicholas County Magistrate Court.