- And according to the killer, all of it was accidental.
James Michael Wright, 23, has been charged with three counts of capital murder, three counts of using a firearm to commit a murder, and three counts of concealment of a dead body. He admitted to killing the three women, one of them a teen, in an 18-day killing spree across Virginia.
Wright confessed he killed the three women he met through his job working at a traveling carnival, up and down the East Coast. The three women were all reported missing between February 28, 2019, and March 17, 2019.
Investigators from Tennessee contacted Washington County, Virginia, authorities about two weeks ago, with regard to setting up an interview with Wright. They identified him as the suspect in the search for missing Athina Hopson, 25.
A search warrant was executed for Wright’s truck when they found Hopson’s cell phone. Hopson’s father pleaded with Wright via Facebook. “Have u seen athina? She is missing .?.?. people say she was with u .?.?. this is her dad,” he wrote.
Wright confessed to killing Hopson during an interview with the Tennessee detectives, where he also confessed to the two other killings. Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, was reported missing on March 17, and Wright said he shot and killed her on February 28, after an argument.
Joslyn M. Alsup, 17, was reported missing March 8, and was killed the next day. Hopson was reported missing on March 21, and was shot, killed, and dumped into the river on March 17.
Remains of Alsup and Vanmeter were found, but Hopson has not yet been located. Wright claims all three killings were accidental. “Although he stated they were accidental, we find that hard to believe based on the information that we have,” Sheriff Fred Newman said.
Hopson’s mother asked, “Why? What was going through this man’s head? Why would he do this to these girls that are innocent and probably trusted him?”
Officials are in talks with the carnival company, to trace its route. “We’re working with that carnival to make a determination of the locations they did set up the carnival, and attempt to see if there are missing persons that might have been reported,” Newman said.
RIP to these three women. Odd, but very sad, news.