Mount Hope, WV: Mount Hope man convicted of girlfriend’s murder

By Christopher J. Jackson
Register-Herald Reporter

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A Mount Hope man accused of killing his girlfriend in 2008 was found guilty Thursday in Fayette County Circuit Court.

David Lee Welch, 46, was convicted of the murder of Linda K. Smith, 51, according to assistant prosecutor Larry Harrah.

Welch was found guilty of felony murder in the first-degree, nine counts of first-degree sexual assault and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse.

According to Harrah, Smith was Welch’s girlfriend for about a year. Welch would drug Smith and force her to perform “filthy” sexual acts on him while she was physically helpless, Harrah said. Welch recorded the acts via his computer’s webcam.

The cause of death was asphyxiation, Harrah said.

Welch attempted to destroy the recordings, but authorities were able to retrieve the evidence from unallocated space on the computer and use it against him.

This “made the case for us,” Harrah said.

Welch fled to Virginia where he was arrested after making comments to several authorities, Harrah said.

Welch will be sentenced June 1 before Judge Paul Blake.

Harrah said “the jury recommended no mercy.”

— E-mail:cjackson@register-herald.com