Latest news with #JessicaMassey
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Friends and family protest, demanding justice for Robin Massey, who was killed in an accident while on horseback
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – Friends, family, and other community members took to the streets of Beckley to demand justice for their friend and her horse who tragically died after being struck by a vehicle. Woman demands justice for sister who was hit and killed while on horseback On July 7, 2024, Robin Massey and her horse Chaos were hit and killed by a car driven by Jesse Acord. Robin and her friends were on horseback crossing the street on Lester Highway and Church Street to return home when tragedy stuck. Police reports reveal that Acord was driving on a suspended license, while driving too fast, and was never given a sobriety test. When the accident took place, Accord did not have his license on him, which can be seen in body cam footage 59News obtained by a FOIA request. Nearly a year later, Robin's friends and family are still waiting for justice to be served. 'There is a lot of questions surrounding her accident and things that happened. You know? It does not seem to make sense how someone can have a history of reckless driving and driving on a suspended license. In the body cam footage, the officer is questioning [Acord] if he is on methadone or Suboxone. But yet no field sobriety tests, drug or alcohol tests and he has not been charged, not taken to jail,' said Jessica Massey, Robin's sister. 'I do not understand why there has not been justice for Robin. We are out here trying to be peaceful, but we are all angry and frustrated that Raleigh County Sheriff's Department has allowed this man to walk free and they have not done anything. He was driving with a suspended license. I know people with lesser charges have been arrested for that. He has a rap sheet a mile long and they just continue to do nothing,' said Lisa Pharo, one of Robin's best friends. According to West Virginia Magistrate Records, Acord has a history of violations like speeding, reckless driving, and driving on a suspended license that was revoked for DUI. 'By now, this guy is probably long gone, unfortunately. We do not get to have Robin. I do not get to have Robin. Her family does not get to have Robin,' added Pharo. 'It's devastating. It's every you know, every day, it's it's it's just on my mind – the injustices and and the idea that, you know, it was supposed to be me and her in the end, and now she's gone down and that's hard to accept,' said Jessica Massey. President Trump gives West Virginia's Sen. Shelley Moore Capito 'complete and total endorsement' Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman said he is reviewing the responding officer's body cam footage to assess this case. He released a statement, saying: At this stage, there is insufficient evidence to support a charge of negligent homicide. A distracted driver such as texting while driving would be one possible factor…So far officers have not been able to locate the driver's phone. That remains an open part of the investigation… As there is no evidence at this point that a felony was committed, the state will need to make a final charging decision prior to the statute of limitations running out. Tom Truman, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney In short, Truman could only prosecute Acord for 'Driving on an Administratively Suspended License,' which is a misdemeanor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman demands justice for sister who was hit and killed while on horseback
GLEN WHITE, WV (WVNS)– In July of 2024, two lives were cut tragically short after a vehicle struck a woman and her horse in a head-on collision. The man who hit them was driving on a suspended license, but was never charged. Now, Jessica Massey is coming forward to demand accountability and justice for her sister Robin's death. 'My sister was a wonderful person…and she died in the most horrific way that I could ever imagine.' Jessica Massey, Robin's sister On July 7th, 2024, Robin Massey and her friends were returning home after a late night horseback ride, after a gear problem delayed them until almost 10 p.m. They were crossing the street on Lester Highway and Church Street, and according to Nathan Cook, Massey's friend, they made sure to take all the proper safety precautions. Despite their precautions, however, a truck coming from the opposite direction failed to stop and hit Robin and her horse, Chaos, in a direct collision, killing her instantly. They were almost home. 'She was trying to stop him,' said Cook. 'We saw headlights and she waved her arms for like a second if that, and he had to have been flying, he wasn't paying attention at all. There's no way he didn't see her. We all had lights and she had that flashing speaker on the back of her saddle.' According to the police crash report, the driver, named Jesse Acord, was not only driving too fast for the conditions that night, but was driving on a suspended license. A license that he also didn't have on him at the time of the incident, which can be seen in the body cam footage 59News obtained by a FOIA request. First Lady of West Virginia taken to hospital Despite Robin passing away at the scene, the police report said that Acord was not drug tested or given a sobriety test that night, even though he has multiple driving charges on his record, including past DUIs, according to West Virginia Magistrate records. Acord left the scene that night without a single charge, even though the police report documented that he was driving illegally. 'She went to the morgue…and he went home.' Jessica Massey, Robin's Sister After reaching out to the Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney's office for comment, we received the following statement from Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Ashley Acord, in return: 'At this time there is insufficient evidence in the investigation of the accident resulting in the death of Robin Massey to support prosecution of more than Driving on an Administratively Suspended License, which is a misdemeanor…Our office is currently awaiting follow-up investigation by Law Enforcement to determine whether distracted driving was a factor in this matter.' Ultimately, Massey has been fighting for months to make things right in her sisters' name. She has been on a journey toward justice in the hopes that no one else will face the same tragedy. 'To know that the outrage is not just within me, that it's within other people that love her, gives me the strength I need to keep fighting,' said Massey. Robin Massey was loved deeply by so many friends and family, who all want to make sure she is never forgotten. 'She was an amazing person,' said Cook. 'She seemed like more of a mom to me than my real mom was, and my best friend.' Cook's wife, Marissa, added that 'she was all-around an amazing person. I've never met anybody that had anything bad to say about her. She always welcomed everybody, she was just an all-around good person.' Massey said that she is planning a protest soon to raise more awareness for Robin's story and advocate for change. The date and time will be announced on the 'Justice for Robin' Facebook page, where you can also find all the latest updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
