On Tuesday, Feb. 21, Lajuana Agripina Lopez,
46, of Rainelle, was arrested and charged with murder in the first degree following a homicide investigation.
According to a criminal complaint, on Tuesday,
Feb. 7, an officer with the West Virginia State Police
reported to a house in Rainelle belonging to Lorne
Atkins in reference to his murder. “Mr. Atkins was
located in an upstairs bedroom of the residence with
severe head injuries. It was suspected these injuries
occurred from blunt force trauma,” states the report.
WVSP Crime Scene investigators found a “claw
type hammer” just outside of the room, and it “had
what appeared to be blood on several areas of the
hammer.”
After interview Lopez on Feb. 21, she confessed
to hitting Atkins “one or more times with a hammer,
causing his death.”
Lopez is currently being held at Southern Regional Jail without bond.
