Emails between WVSP brass detail attempts to arrest whistleblower behind anonymous letter
Emails between West Virginia State Police’s upper brass appear to show the efforts the agency put toward jailing the whistleblower behind an anonymous letter that sparked an investigation. (WCHS)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Emails between West Virginia State Police’s upper brass appear to show the efforts the agency put toward jailing the whistleblower behind an anonymous letter that sparked an investigation.
The emails concern the pending February arrest of Cpl. Joseph Comer, who has since come forward as the whistleblower behind an anonymous letter detailing questionable behavior within West Virginia State Police. The letter eventually led to an investigation into the agency.
Comer remains on administrative leave from the agency. He was in the midst of a grievance process about his demotion when he was charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor battery which allegedly took place in December during custody swaps with the mother of his child.
Comer turned himself in for arrest on Feb. 24, the day of his administrative hearing over being demoted. He has since withdrawn his complaint and said he intends to now sue the agency.
The trooper and his attorney claim the charges are false and intended to keep him from attending the administrative hearing.
“This has been going on for a while, but it’s like an onion – it just keeps on, the layers keep coming off,” David Moye, Comer’s attorney, said.
Eyewitness News has exclusively obtained emails circulated among the high-ranking members of the West Virginia State Police which detail their efforts to arrest and incarcerate Comer prior to his scheduled hearing.
“The information that I have now received shows that this thread of people was doing anything and everything that they could to try to get something against Cpl. Comer in order to destroy his reputation, destroy his career, to stop him from testifying at that Level Four hearing,” Moye said.
On Thursday, Feb. 23 at 10:09 p.m., a day before Comer's scheduled hearing, Troop One Commander Captain G.L. Stalnaker, who retired last month, said in an email "Comer's sergeant called Comer and told him to come to the Parkersburg detachment. They told him they needed to serve a DVP."
There was no mention of the warrant for Comer's arrest.
Four minutes later, Stalnaker messaged again, "Will advise when in custody en route to the regional jail."
But Comer did not show up.
Major Ed Widmeyer, the North Chief of Field Services then said at 11:16 p.m., "Do we need to ping his cell."
Stalnaker replied, "Probably would help."
Major J.T. Findley, the Professional Standards Director added, "I agree."
At 11:35 p.m., Widmeyer said, "Approximately what time was they expecting him at detachment? Have bolos [be on the lookouts] put out on both trucks, troop 1 and 4. If his truck isn't home, lets get that tag and check lprs [license plate readers]."
Findley responded at 11:39 p.m., "Everyone needs to be extremely cautious when they encounter him. It won't be the Joey they are accustomed to. I can only imagine his state of mind."
“It appears that they were trying to set Cpl. Comer up to possibly get shot,” Moye said. Sgt. Keefer, the one they sent to pick him up at nearly midnight, was not told about the DVP and was not told about the warrants. But he was told to tell Cpl. Comer to arm himself with his service revolver and that he was to transport him at midnight to the Parkersburg detachment. So why, the question arises, why would they tell him to arm himself when they are going to arrest him for a supposed violent felony 30 minutes later?”
Just after midnight, at 12:50 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, Stalnaker messaged, "They denied the ping, because of no threat today."
Efforts to find Comer that night were unsuccessful.
In a separate email, former superintendent Col. Jan Cahill messaged Findley saying, "I think you may already have this. But have ready for me a chronological timeline/action taken regarding Vicki [the mother of Comer’s child] from her first contact with us thru Huddleston's letter."
That refers to a Feb. 17 letter by First Sgt. K.W. Huddleston. The letter said he was contacted by Marra, who was under his command, in early January. She accused Comer of domestic assault and domestic battery and claimed Comer was following her, which made her uncomfortable because of his violent tendencies.
Despite those statements, there was no attempt to contact or arrest Comer until the night before his scheduled hearing.
“First Sgt. Huddleston, who signed the criminal complaint warrant for the strangulation, he was assigned by Col. Cahill and Maj. Findley to investigate this, and it began – his journal, his statement – began on Jan. 9 where he was speaking with Trooper Marra, the alleged victim here in the strangulation,” Moye said. “His interviews with her continued from Jan. 9 all the way to Feb. 17. Nothing was ever, ever was in there about strangulation.”
In email messages in the early morning of Feb.24, the day of the hearing and the day Comer turned himself in, Huddleston wrote Findley, "I am thinking we maybe need to start thinking about having something in place tomorrow when/if he shows up"
Findley replied, "Yes. He (sic) be here at 0900. I'll be here. I can pull him and his attorney and have it taken care of. Place on admin leave when serve dvp and then do warrant after everything secured"
He continued, "Timing if (sic) it is horrible"
Huddleston replied, "Yes optics will suck but it is what it is"
But that plan was thwarted when, accompanied by his attorney, Comer surrendered to authorities in Jackson County.
Now, on Feb. 26 at 6:39 p.m. Huddleston references an Eyewitness News story about the situation in a message to Findley, "See this one? How did they know there were warrants/DVP...Seems like he is admitting to disobeying and (sic) order and the attorney possibly obstructing...Prosecutor thinks so too...obvious info was getting passed that night."
At 6:42 p.m. Huddleston said, "Pisses me off"
Findley responded, "I know. I've been replaying it in my head all wkend (sic). I'll call you in the morning."
Eyewitness News has reached out to West Virginia State Police about whether the emails represent standard operating procedure. We also wanted to ask about the status of Comer’s administrative hearing.
A member of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s administration told us that Supt. Jack Chambers could not comment because the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into the Comer situation and activity surrounding it.
A spokesperson with the FBI told Eyewitness News that as a matter of policy it does not comment on investigations.
Comer remains on paid administrative leave and remains free on the strangulation and battery charges he’s facing after posting a $30,000 bond.
