Authorities Report Discovery of Deceased Woman on Porch, 2-Year-Old Found Inside Home Following Welfare Check Request

A welfare check initiated by a concerned West Virginia resident led authorities to a shocking discovery—a body concealed under a blanket on a porch, according to law enforcement officials.

Leroy Hunt, aged 35, faces charges of first-degree murder and child neglect creating a risk of injury, as per jail records obtained by Law&Crime.

Hunt was taken into custody and incarcerated at the Southwestern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility on Friday evening.

The victim has been identified as Christina Hunt, although details about her age remain undisclosed, according to a report from regional CBS affiliate WOWK.

The incident unfolded around 10 a.m. on Friday when a neighbor asked deputies from the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office to perform a wellness check at a residence on Triton Lane, located north of Delbarton in the rural western part of the state. Upon arrival, deputies reportedly discovered the body before entering the house.

A woman’s body was covered by a blanket on the front porch of the residence, investigators said.

A statement from the sheriff’s office stated that Leroy Hunt “allegedly murdered his wife, Christina Hunt, as she was entering the residence,” according to the Mingo Messenger.

But the suspect was apparently not the only person at the residence as he allegedly committed the act of violence. The couple’s 2-year-old child was present, and authorities hold that Leroy Hunt put the kid’s safety at risk when he allegedly shot his wife.

Once deputies found Christina Hunt’s body, they said a standoff ensued between law enforcement and the defendant. After some time, the suspect is said to have surrendered, and he was arrested and booked into jail.

An autopsy is set to be performed by the West Virginia State Medical Examiner’s Office on the shooting victim’s body, local ABC and Fox affiliate WCHS reported. The child was not injured during the incident.