Carnival Worker Accused In Killings Of 3 Women: Sheriff

WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA — A man working as a sub-contractor with a traveling carnival is accused of killing three women who had been reported missing, including a 17-year-old juvenile from Georgia, according to officials in Washington County, Virginia.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said the man has been charged with three counts of capital murder. According to the sheriff's office, the case began about two weeks ago when police from Johnson City, Tennessee, asked to interview a Washington County man about a missing persons case.

Johnson City Police had information that indicated the missing woman was last seen in the man's company, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities were able to obtain a search warrant for the man's truck and found a cellphone belonging to the missing Johnson City woman, the sheriff's office said. Authorities also obtained a search warrant for the man's home and on the same day, he confessed to killing three women in an interview with Tennessee detectives, the sheriff's office said.

The suspect was identified as James Wright, 23, of Mendota, Virginia.

Wright told officials that the shootings were "accidental," the sheriff's office said. In a news conference, Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman said that officials "find it hard to believe" the shootings were accidental, local news channel WJHL reported.

According to WJHL, the sheriff's office is working with the carnival Wright worked for to determine all the locations the carnival stopped. The owner of the carnival Wright worked for, James H. Drew Carnivals, told WJHL he did not know Wright and had no record of Wright working for him.

The sheriff's office said Wright met the women through his work for the carnival.

The three women died between Feb. 28-March 17, officials said. Wright is accused of shooting and killing a 22-year-old woman identified as Elizabeth Vanmeter from Carter County, Tennessee, on or around Feb. 28 because of an argument, officials said. The woman was reported missing on March 17.

A second woman, identified as a 17-year-old from Cobb County, Georgia, was killed on or around March 9, officials said. According to court documents obtained by WJHL, Wright said he shot the teen after they had sexual intercourse in the woods near his home. He claimed to authorities that he was trying to shoot an animal, according to the WJHL report.

The missing woman from Johnson City, identified as 25-year-old Athina Hopson, was killed on or around March 17, the sheriff's office said.

The suspect told sheriff's officials that he shot Hopson and her body was in the back of his truck when it fell out and rolled down an embankment, officials said. According to the sheriff's office, Wright then dumped the woman's body in the river.

The remains of two women, believed to be Vanmeter and the 17-year-old Georgia teen, were found after a search surrounding Wright's home, officials said.