1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,400 Mountain State Mysteries contains adult content that may not be suitable for all audiences. 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,400 Listener discretion is advised. 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,080 I'm your host Marc. 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:11,320 And I'm Courtney. 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:39,320 This is Mountain State Mysteries. 6 00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:19,320 Today we want to tell you the story of a man who was murdered in our backyard of Raleigh County. 7 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:24,120 A man who went out to run some errands and then was found dead later that day. 8 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,280 His case left behind nearly seven years of unanswered questions. 9 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,760 This is the story of David Fenn. 10 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:37,640 On June 22nd, 2016, David left his home in Amiga, West Virginia around 9 a.m. to run some errands 11 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:43,480 in Beckley, West Virginia. Around 4 p.m., a pair of joggers found David's body on a trail. 12 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:49,640 He had been stabbed multiple times and for nearly seven years, David's family and law enforcement 13 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:51,320 are still searching for answers. 14 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:59,240 Born on November 1st, 1940, in Coville, West Virginia, David was the son of the late Stucley Estle fan 15 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,880 and Bula Blanche Hilton Van Bolton. 16 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,160 David 75 was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. 17 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:10,520 A graduate of Bluefield State College with a bachelor's in business administration. 18 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,920 David was an entrepreneur from rental properties to restaurants. 19 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:21,960 In the 1980s, David owned a mobile diner that offered everything from arcade games to food. 20 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,120 Then in 2016, he retired but he still had a few rentals. 21 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,040 David was the last surviving member of his immediate family. 22 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:36,440 On June 22nd, 2016, David's day seemed to have started as a normal day. 23 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:42,280 He left his home in Amiga around 9 a.m. and headed to Beckley to purchase a head trimmer 24 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:43,480 at Harbor Freight. 25 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,640 When David arrived in Beckley, he stopped at Tudor's Biscuit World for breakfast on Harper 26 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:53,560 Road. After David left Tudor's, he drove to Harbor Freight and said to have purchased a head 27 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,360 trimmer. Then he drove to Olly's Bargain Outlet. 28 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:01,960 David was caught on security-footed sleeping Olly's. From reports, everything seemed normal. 29 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,560 It's believed that David had finished his errands around 12.30 p.m. 30 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,840 After that, we honestly aren't sure what happened. 31 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:15,880 3.5 hours later, at Lake Stevens in Traveller, West Virginia, two joggers on a trail came 32 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,960 across a person laying down. At first, they believed the person to be a drunk or passed out on drugs. 33 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:27,960 They called the park's maintenance. When maintenance arrived, they realized that it was a lifeless 34 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:33,800 body of David Fenn. Deputies with the Rully County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to the scene. 35 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,720 David's body was found at the overlook along the northern edge. 36 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:45,400 Now Mark, we aren't sure actually how David ended up on the trail. We've been to the overlook 37 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,480 countless times in our life and we were actually just there the other day. 38 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:57,880 David was said to have walked with a limp, so to us it seems like it would have been difficult 39 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:03,320 for him to make it down the hill and walk on a trail. No 100%, especially from where his truck was 40 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:09,880 parked. Yes, there hasn't been a lot released about the crime scene, or really on this case, 41 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:15,160 but the Rully County Sheriff's Department has said that David's death was a result of multiple 42 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:22,280 stab wounds. A look at that area surrounding the crime scene really didn't give them much to go on. 43 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:29,480 We do know that where David's body was found is surrounded mostly by trees. Now from that area, 44 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:35,240 you can see the beach from the overlook, but however from the beach looking over to where 45 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:41,240 his body was found, it's not a clear view. The trail David was found on starts at the dam and 46 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:46,280 takes you to the campgrounds. You pass by the overlook, we do know that the trail can branch 47 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:50,360 out in different directions and can take you to different parts of the lake. You can actually see 48 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:57,160 pictures of the trail and the map of the trail on our social media. 49 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:07,160 So 50 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:17,160 and you're listening to Mountain State Mysteries. 51 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:23,160 So 52 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:31,560 on the evening of June 22nd, 2016, detectives Corey Suman and Brian Stump delivered the news 53 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:37,400 to David's family. In just a few hours after they told his family a storm that has now been labeled 54 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:42,920 the thousand-year flood would wreak havoc on the state. David has been said to be a creature of habit, 55 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:48,920 so he tends to stick to the tasks of the day. His family can think of no reason that David would 56 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:54,680 have been at Lake Stevens that day. He wasn't one who liked walking trails because he had a limp 57 00:05:54,680 --> 00:06:00,200 as a result of a badly broken leg. Where David was found is technically rough terrain from the 58 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:07,000 parking lot of the overlook. To get to the trail, you have to walk down the hill and then the trails, 59 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:15,160 in my opinion, aren't kept that well, so that would be really tough for really anyone to hike. 60 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:21,080 We have been asking ourselves almost every day since we started doing research on this case. 61 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:29,800 One question, how did David end up at the lake? It was nowhere near his route home. David's truck, 62 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:35,880 a blue four-door Toyota Tacoma, was found parked in the parking lot at the overlook. His truck was 63 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:41,320 found closer to the playground section of the overlook. Nothing seemed to be missing or out 64 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:46,280 the ordinary from the pictures we've seen of his truck, which will be up on our social media. 65 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:52,680 You can see that David's door is slightly opened, like he was in a hurry to close it. His windshield 66 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:58,120 wipers were also stopped when his truck was turned off. We do know that it rained on and off the day 67 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:03,960 his body was found, so it makes a little bit of sense why he had them on. Where David's body was 68 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:09,080 found is maybe two to three hundred feet away from where his truck was parked. With David's limp, 69 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:19,880 we think it would have been difficult for him to walk down the hill, especially walk on the trail. 70 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:30,040 And you are listening to Mountain State Mysteries. 71 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:42,200 Music 72 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:50,200 We know David lived his house at 9 a.m. Now, if he was on time, he would have arrived at Tudors 73 00:07:50,200 --> 00:08:02,200 anywhere between 9 30 to 9 40 a.m. He was seen at Harbor Freight at 11 o 7 a.m. Then he arrived at 74 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:10,120 Ollie's at 12 10 p.m. And he left there at 12 30 p.m. We know of three to four different ways David 75 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:17,000 could have made it to the lake. However, we think that he would have went Harbor Road and take route 76 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:24,120 three to make it to the lake. One night after doing some research on this case, we actually took the 77 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:35,160 route that we think David took. And this is an area that we have grown up in. This is an area that 78 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:44,760 we know very well. And I can honestly say going through Stevens Lake at night is single-handedly 79 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:53,880 one of the creepiest things that there is. I mean, we've done industrial drive for our first case 80 00:08:53,880 --> 00:09:00,040 of Nellie Randon Ray Bailey. We've been where they've been shot. We stopped where they were shot. 81 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:11,480 But this somehow is creepy on a new level. It's, I will say this much, I 10 out of 10 do not recommend. 82 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:19,400 Like, I don't know. Y'all can call us whatever, but I'm here to you right now. Like when you get 83 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:26,360 researching these crimes and especially going to where the bodies have been located and knowing 84 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:32,360 that a murder has taken place there, it gives you a whole different perspective of, oh, we're just 85 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:39,720 going to take a lot. We're just going to take a little drive through the lake. No, 100%. 86 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:48,360 No, it's a completely different thing. But during the day, it's fine. Oh, yeah, 100% during the day. 87 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:54,120 I mean, we did this twice during the day and we were completely fine. Yeah, completely fine. And 88 00:09:55,400 --> 00:10:05,400 one night trip has done us it. It really has. It honestly really has. Again, 10 out of 10 don't recommend. 89 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:12,200 Not knowing what happened between 1230 and 4pm, we aren't sure if David made another stop or if he 90 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:17,560 was headed home. If he made another stop, who's to say someone didn't walk up on him and ask him 91 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:23,640 for a ride to the lake? It honestly could have happened in the parking lot of Oly's. Maybe he 92 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,680 didn't have a swallow in his shorts, and the person saw the money that he was carrying and it could 93 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:34,600 have ended up being a robbery gone wrong. Crime stoppers of West Virginia put out a reward of 94 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:42,280 $25,000 for any information and to the state is still active. With this case still being open, 95 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:47,720 Detective Brian Stump said, I've been back to Lake Stevens probably two to three dozen times. 96 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:53,160 I've looked in obvious places on the trail to make sure we didn't miss anything. I've walked down 97 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:59,400 and even gotten to the water. With this case still being open, Detective Brian Stump has said, 98 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:04,600 I've been back to Lake Stevens probably two to three dozen times. I've looked in obvious places on 99 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:09,960 the trail to make sure we didn't miss anything. I've walked down and even gotten to the water. 100 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:15,880 So not only are we working on new stuff, he said about every other week he takes the case out and 101 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:23,240 starts all over again. Detective Stump has also said that there's no set standard on the timeframe. 102 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:30,280 I believe it will get solved if it's not going to be during my career or next week that we do not know. 103 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:40,040 David was last seen on June 22nd, 2016 at 12 10 p.m. at Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Becley, 104 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:46,360 West Virginia. For nearly seven years, David's family has grieved the loss of a life taken far 105 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:51,320 too soon. The pain is only amplified by the lack of answers surrounding his murder. 106 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:57,320 Someone out there knows something that could help Detective solve this case and give David the justice 107 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:03,720 he deserves. If that person is listening to this podcast or if you know anything about the murder 108 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:10,520 of David Van in June of 2016, it's time to speak up. If you have any information on the murder of 109 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:21,480 David or this case, please call the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department at 304-255-9300. 110 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:35,240 Or call Crime Stoppers at 304-255-STOP. That number again is 304-255-7867. You can stay anonymous. 111 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:43,080 Courtney, do you have any final thoughts before we sign off? In all honesty, this has single-handedly 112 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:52,680 been the most difficult case that we have researched, that we have tried to get information on. 113 00:12:54,760 --> 00:13:02,840 Mark has spent countless hours trying to find newspaper articles, anything of that nature. 114 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:16,120 And we have found absolutely nothing. We have went here recently. We have walked down the trail. 115 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:26,920 We have parked exactly where he has parked everything. And in all honesty, like, it makes no sense 116 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:33,720 whatsoever. When you go to the crime scene, it makes no sense whatsoever. The fact that 117 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:42,600 the one of the biggest things that puzzles me about the entire thing is the detective who is 118 00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:50,760 in this case, who's taken charge of this case, getting in the water. I mean, the only thing I 119 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:55,400 can figure out of that is maybe seeing if there was some sort of evidence thrown in the water, 120 00:13:55,400 --> 00:14:00,600 something of that nature. But other than that, like, from the way that they were saying, 121 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:09,400 his body was nowhere near water. I mean, it's completely mind-blowing, just with any other case. 122 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:19,640 We do want justice done for the family. We want justice for him. You know, he has a family who 123 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:27,720 lost a father, a husband, a grandfather, everything of that nature. And justice just needs to be served. 124 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:34,760 Mark, do you have any final thoughts on this case? Like you said, I've spent countless hours doing 125 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:44,120 research, looking for newspaper articles, looking for new information. And there really just isn't 126 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:52,040 anything out there. We've heard different theories on this case. We've had people tell us different 127 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:59,320 stories. They've heard he's picked someone up. They've heard that he was meeting someone to get 128 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:06,840 rent money from. We've heard so many different things that it just doesn't make sense. And we 129 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:13,240 were actually like doing research on this case one night till 1am, not too long ago. And my dad 130 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:20,120 was downstairs with us. And he was like, did he ever fish? We're like, yeah, like there's pictures 131 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:28,600 of him on a pontoon boat, all that. You know, he said to be a fisher and all this. Where he was found 132 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:37,320 isn't far from a popular fishing spot at the lake that guys just go because it's in a cove. And it's 133 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:44,200 just easier to go there than to do a boat because there's so many different things. And it's easier 134 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:49,000 just to go to the bank than it is to go in the cove because they have blow-up things now. There's 135 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:56,520 a beach nearby. So my dad said he didn't spend a lot of time in Oli's that he could have actually bought 136 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:05,960 like a fishing lure. And he possibly could have just went to go fish real quick. And that to me 137 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:12,760 makes the most sense out of any theory we've heard. Well, also with you talking about that right there, 138 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,840 you know, it was never mentioned if he had a fishing pole with him or not. So I mean, he 139 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:21,240 could have very well just maybe stopped him by the fishing pole, anything of that nature at all. 140 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,960 He's just maybe stopped buying fish one day. Yeah, I mean, it was a beautiful day. I mean, 141 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:33,160 it was raining on and off. So I mean, who really want to go fishing? But I personally believe he 142 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:40,200 just walked on to something that he wasn't supposed to see. Maybe it was drug deal. Maybe it was a 143 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:45,480 shaken bake like you said, you actually had to teach me what a shaken bake was. Maybe it was 144 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:52,600 something else. And personally, I just really want justice out there for him. And, you know, 145 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:58,920 I know he didn't have a cell phone. So I know that detectives couldn't like ping off his location 146 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:04,200 or anything. But I just I really want justice for this case. 147 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:46,200 So Courtney, should we tell them about the little surprise we have for our listeners? 148 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:53,800 Yeah. So we've started Patreon. We're going to call it the mystery club. We have two different 149 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:59,560 tiers that you can join. Courtney, do you want to tell them about the first one? Okay, y'all. Our 150 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:07,400 first one starts at $5. It is called junior detectives. You will have access to a group chat 151 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:16,520 along with video episodes, unreleased photos, a newsletter and video updates on our cases in 152 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:23,400 our private Facebook page. Our second tier starts at $10 and it's called senior detectives. You will 153 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:30,120 have access from everything in the first tier along with getting to submit a case to us exclusive 154 00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:35,640 t-shirts and sweatshirts, stickers, keychains. We will have live chats. We will personally mail 155 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:43,400 you a letter from us along with bonus episodes. So join us in the mystery club at patreon.com 156 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:49,720 slash mountain state mysteries. We can't wait to see you there. Next time on mountain state mysteries, 157 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:57,400 we're going to tell you the story of Harry Power. If you find yourself enjoying mountain state mysteries, 158 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:03,160 take a second to rate it on your favorite podcasting service. It helps others find good true crime 159 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:11,800 podcasts. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and wherever you listen to podcast. 160 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:21,800 For the show notes, check out our website, mountainstate mysteries podcast.com.