Roanoke, VA: Judge denies bond for murder suspect

A prosecutor detailed Heath Overstreet's actions prior to the death of his estranged wife.
By Mike Gangloff
981-3336
A prosecutor on Friday offered a more detailed account of the July slaying of Susan Overstreet, arguing that her husband, who is charged with first-degree murder, should stay behind bars pending trial.

Roanoke Circuit Court Judge Jonathan Apgar agreed and declined to set a bond for Heath Overstreet, 43, of Bedford County.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joshua Dietz said Susan Overstreet's death in a South Roanoke apartment came amid the disintegration of the Overstreets' 10-year marriage. Both had relationships with others, he said.

On June 25, Susan Overstreet took out a warrant against her husband for assault and battery. A protective order was issued.

Heath Overstreet was jailed but bonded out the next day. He quickly violated the protective order by running his truck through the front yard of the couple's home in Bedford County and threatening to kill himself, Dietz said.

He was arrested again, taken to Western State Hospital and diagnosed as having a narcissistic personality disorder, Dietz said.

On July 8, Susan Overstreet filed for divorce. The next day, Heath Overstreet confronted her as she left Valley Bank's branch on Church Avenue in Roanoke, where she was a teller. Other bank employees intervened and Heath Overstreet left, Dietz said.

On July 15, Heath Overstreet again violated a protective order by appearing at the Overstreets' Bedford County home as Susan Overstreet, who had moved to an apartment on 24th Street in Roanoke, and a friend tried to remove some of her property. Susan Overstreet and her friend left without the property, Dietz said.

On July 22, one of Susan Overstreet's new neighbors saw Heath Overstreet sitting in his truck outside her apartment for an hour. Phone records showed he sent her multiple text messages and called her about 11:15 p.m., soon after Susan Overstreet left a dinner at a friend's house, Dietz said.

On July 23, Valley Bank employees called police because Susan Overstreet had not come to work. Officers found her dead in her apartment, having suffered three deep cuts to her neck and what seemed to be defensive wounds to her hands. The cause of death was a cut to her jugular vein, Dietz said.

When police picked up Heath Overstreet, he had scratches like those caused by fingernails, Dietz said.