Convicted Murderer Admits to Attacking Guard in Marshall County
A man serving a life sentence for the 2009 murder of a state worker in Charleston now faces further charges which could impact his chances of parole when eligible in eight years.
Jimmy Eugene Thompson, 26, formerly of Charleston, was one of two men convicted in 2010 of murdering James Andrew Gillespie, a worker for the West Virginia State Insurance Commission, in November 2009. Both he and accomplice Michael Shane Thompson, 26, received life sentences with mercy in Kanawha County Circuit Court — meaning they are eligible for parole after serving 15 years.
Thompson, however, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery, reduced from a felony charge of assault of a corrections officer, after an October 2015 incident in which Thompson rushed a guard, striking him numerous times in the head while the guard attempted to defend himself. Medical records showed the corrections officer suffered swelling, bruising and a concussion during the attack.
Thompson remained subdued through the hearing, only affirming Judge Jeff Cramer’s questions when prompted. When asked to describe what he did to warrant the charge against him, Thompson answered briefly.
“I laid my hands on the corrections officer,” he said, subsequently affirming that he did so violently when asked.
Prosecutor Rhonda Wade said despite Thompson’s existing life sentence, prosecution of the case was important to protect corrections officers, and she noted the conviction will likely pose problems for Thompson when he is evaluated for parole.
“I hope the sentence sends him a message,” Wade said. “It would have consequences when he meets the parole board, and this is on his record. And there might be a consecutive sentence, so he could be paroled for his murder sentence and then still face time on this.”
Thompson was not sentenced Thursday morning, but faces up to a year in jail on the battery charge.
In unrelated hearings, two others pleaded guilty to drug offenses and were sentenced. Rhonda West, charged with delivery of a controlled substance, was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison, with the possibility to have her sentence reduced at the court’s discretion. Additionally, Frank Taylor, charged with possession with intent to deliver, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one to five years, with the option to have his sentence suspended in lieu of two years’ probation after serving four months in prison, during which time he is to complete the drug court program.
Wade said West represented one of the last cases in September’s mass arrest of suspected drug offenders in Marshall County.
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