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Avery County Man Charged With Murder in Drug-Related Shooting at Residence in Marion

By Jesse Wood

On Saturday, the Marion Police Department took William Isaac Erwin, 27, of Big Plumtree Creek Road in Newland into custody and charged him with first-degree burglary, murder and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

1383070_1119830931394380_1295788281290710656_nThe arrest came two days after law enforcement responded to 242 Kathy Street in Marion at 4 a.m. on Thursday morning to investigate a shooting. There they found two victims suffering from shotgun wounds.

According to the Marion Police Department, Leon Roy Mosteller, 33, died at the scene and Kelly Louise Barr, 23, who resided at the home, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

As the Marion Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation and the Avery County Sheriff’s Office were preparing to serve warrants to Erwin in Newland, a deputy with the Avery County Sheriff’s Office observed that Erwin left his residence. The deputy then conducted a traffic stop and arrested Erwin without incident.

“Investigators were able to interview William at the Avery County Sheriff’s Office about the incident in McDowell County,” according to a release from the Marion Police Department. “William was transported back to McDowell County and taken before a Magistrate where he was charged with the following and given no bond.”

According to McDowell News, Barr’s children were present during the shooting and that authorities believe the altercation was over “drugs and money.”

“We think it was drug and money related, so yes, he went in trying to obtain money and narcotics,” Chief Allen Lawrence told McDowell News when asked about what led to the shooting.