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MOUNDSVILLE – Authorities in Marshall County today arrested a woman they said drove a 15-year-old boy to Wheeling the day before his body was found beneath the Fort Henry Bridge.
Sharon Louise Leach, 68, of Moundsville, a head nurse at Reynolds Memorial Hospital, faces charges of obstructing an investigation, possession of a Schedule II narcotic and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She is being held at the Northern Regional Jail on $5,000 bond.
Her arrest stems from the discovery of Kyle Jerry Dale Morgan’s body beneath the Fort Henry Bridge on June 16. Authorities later identified the body as Morgan’s, saying he died of blunt force trauma. A coroner ruled the manner of Morgan’s death as homicide.
According to a criminal complaint, Leach allegedly transported Morgan and two other teens to Wheeling.
“The department and the family want the murderer or murderers to be found,” said Moundsville police Lt. Steve Kosek. “Right now we know these people weren’t involved in the murder, but I’m hoping people will see information on her (Leach) arrest and someone else will come forward with any additional information especially if they had any dealings with him (Morgan) once he got to Wheeling,” Kosek said. “We need all the information we can get.”
According to the complaint, Morgan’s father, Dale Morgan, came to the Moundsville Police Department on June 17 to report his son missing. The following day at 2 p.m., the Wheeling Police Department responded to a report of a body of a young man found dead beneath the Fort Henry Bridge, later identified to be Kyle Morgan.
On July 18, a female juvenile came to the Moundsville department with information regarding Kyle Morgan. The individual stated her ex-boyfriend had been contacted by Morgan asking for a ride to Wheeling to the bus station as he was going to visit his mother in Kentucky.
According to the complaint, Morgan offered the male juvenile $20 and marijuana in exchange for the ride. The unidentified male juvenile then asked Leach, one of his relatives, to take the three teens to Wheeling and she agreed. Leach and the three teens then reportedly traveled to Wheeling, where they dropped Kyle Morgan off at the former bus terminal near WesBanco Arena.
According to the complaint, Morgan previously told the teens he planned to go “ghost” during the trip, leaving his cellphone behind in the vehicle, while taking a black and red backpack and headphones with him. Morgan and the male teen smoked marijuana during the ride, according to the complaint.
The Moundsville Police Department and Marshall County Sheriff’s Department responded to 1378 Chase Lane on July 19 around 9 a.m. to speak with Leach. During a search of the house, officers found Kyle Morgan’s phone, which Leach’s juvenile male relative reportedly admitted to throwing over the hill by the home, along with seven white pills in Leach’s work bag.
Leach claimed the pills were percocet, but were identified as acetaminophen and oxycodone, schedule II narcotics, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Leach admitted she used her vehicle to drive Morgan to the bus terminal on the evening he went missing and that she was aware Morgan and her teen relative were smoking marijuana in her vehicle. She also admitted she was aware Morgan was reported missing the following day and subsequently found dead, but didn’t report any information to police.
According to the complaint, Leach stated she should have come forward, but hadn’t thought about it since the event.
The male juvenile in the case is also facing obstruction charges. According to the complaint, the teen said he feared dealing with the police, which made him to decide to throw the phone over the hill.