Employee Fatally Shot During Break in Kanawha County Walmart Parking Lot; Suspect Charged with First-Degree Murder

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (BuzzReport) — Authorities in West Virginia are investigating a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a Walmart employee during a break in the store’s parking lot, leading to the arrest of a suspect who is now facing a first-degree murder charge.

According to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a shooting Monday morning at a Walmartlocation in Kanawha County. Upon arrival, they discovered 40-year-old Misty Williams unresponsive inside her vehicle. She had been on a work break at the time of the incident.

Investigators determined that Williams, an employee of the store, was found by coworkers who became concerned after she failed to return from her break. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

Authorities have identified the suspect as 54-year-old Eric DeWayne Richmond. Preliminary findings indicate that Richmond and Williams were known to one another prior to the shooting, though the exact nature of their relationship has not been fully disclosed.

A criminal complaint reveals that surveillance footage captured Richmond approaching the victim’s vehicle during her break. The footage also shows him leaving the parking lot shortly afterward in a black pickup truck. Investigators later recovered a 9 mm handgun from Richmond’s residence as part of the ongoing investigation.

Richmond has been formally charged with first-degree murder and is currently being held without bond. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for April 20.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the events leading up to the encounter in the parking lot. The case remains active as detectives work to establish a clear timeline and motive.