Father jailed for shooting teen, her dog
By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.comA Meigs County man is being held on $500,000 bond after a series of weekend incidents in which he allegedly shot his daughter in the back of the head, shot and killed her dog and burned his home.
Joseph W. Lemaster, 33, of Long Bottom, was arrested Sunday and is due to appear in Meigs County Court at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 30 for a preliminary hearing.
His 16-year-old daughter, whose name was not released by police or court officials, remained hospitalized Tuesday, according to Sheriff Robert Beegle.
The shooting occurred around 11:15 p.m. Saturday outside Lemaster's mobile home, Beegle said.
"We don't know exactly what led to the shooting," he said. "He had been drinking, and there was an argument."
Beegle said the girl, who visited Lemaster on weekends, was attempting to leave the residence in a family car when Lemaster allegedly shot a .22-caliber rifle into the car, striking her in the back of the head.
Beegle said the girl traveled to a nearby residence for assistance and was transported by medical helicopter to a Huntington, W.Va., trauma center. She is expected to recover from her injuries, he said.
Lemaster could not be located immediately following the shooting. Beegle said the man had wandered along a road until someone picked him up and drove him home.
"He commented (to that person) he was going to commit suicide and burn down his trailer," Beegle said. "Shortly after that conversation, we got a call of a fire."
Beegle said Lemaster was seen watching the fire from a nearby hillside.
"He was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the ground, watching it burn," he said.
Officers didn't catch up to the man until 10 a.m. the next day when he was again seen in the woods near his home.
Beegle said the fire was determined to have been intentionally set; however, he was not sure arson charges would be filed.
"I'm not sure we can charge him with arson because he burned his own property," he said. "There was no attempt at fraud, and it wasn't the property of another. The (state) fire marshal will make that decision, though."
Beegle said Lemaster has "been in some minor trouble in the past." He said the man's criminal history was mostly related to alcohol abuse and did not include any acts of violence.
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armybrat
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10-21-09 5:51 PM
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I agree with andthatsthewayitwas, you are responsible for yourself. Everyone knows what drugs and alcohol can do to a person, so why go that route? If you do go that route, don't blame anyone but yourself. It is a personal choice, the government, friends, family or anyone else did not force you to do this. I grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father, seeing what alcohol did to him and the family, I swore that would never happen to me or my family. I come from a family with nine children, none of us chose alcohol or drugs as a life style. It is a choice!
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PWC032096
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10-21-09 4:02 PM
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andthatsthewayitwas - Are you kidding? Be responsible for myself? That's the govt's job...not mine! As a matter of fact, I blame Bush for it because he was never proactive enough giving me my handouts and now I am so downtrodden....(I can't seem to finish this with a straight face)
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andthatsthewayitwas
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10-21-09 2:19 PM
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Here is an idea...Let's make Americans take responsibility for their own actions! "The alcohol made me do it" is a bull excuse. YOU picked up the bottle, needle, etc. It's time that this country starts to enforce the idea that we are all accountable for ourselves and we cannot blame someone or something else for the things that go wrong in our life or the things that we do wrong.
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Yardman
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10-21-09 11:55 AM
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As a recovering alcoholic with 26 years of sobriety, let me address a few comments. Yes, alcoholism is a disease. BUT (and this is a big But) YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS...NO ONE ELSE. As someone previously pointed out, AA meetings are free...and they work! NA meetings (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings are free and they work! So, while a person may have a disease, he or she can't use that disease as an excuse. Man Up, plead guilty, do some hard time.
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rocker
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10-21-09 11:43 AM
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LilDebbie, your right in saying he could of got help if he wanted it. Most of them don't want help. I know this because I've dealt with this subject of alcoholism on my wife's side of the family for years.
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LilDebbie
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10-21-09 11:10 AM
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Not to mention AA meetings are free.
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LilDebbie
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10-21-09 11:07 AM
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I don't make excuses for people making bad choices. If he truly wanted help, he could have gotten it. Every time he raised the bottle to his lips, he made a choice. Treatment is available in Marietta @ L&P Services. Sorry - making excuses only enables them further. You are free to do it if you like - I will not.
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sotired
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10-21-09 10:09 AM
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How, Lil Deb, has this man have every opportunity to seek "help" when this community is constantly knocking people with mental health issues, consistently rejects mental health levys meant to "help" people. There are no local treatment facilities available anymore. So where, pray tell, should this man go for help? It's easier and cheaper to go to the local bar and knock back a few. I am so sorry for his daughter and her family. But now she will have mental issues to deal with, if she doesn't already. Are we going to sit around here and bash her when she decides to turn to the bottle to soothe her pain? Or are we going to make*****sure she has someplace to turn? It's a rhetorical question. I already know the answre. sad.
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glider
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10-21-09 9:47 AM
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Alcohol should never be an excuse. Even though I have done some regretful things while drinking. I do think it is an illness that can be treated, although not easy. If you drink you need to realize that you are accountable for your actions whether you know what your doing or not.
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LilDebbie
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10-21-09 9:46 AM
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This man has had a history of alcoholism & a criminal history due to alcoholism. He has had every opportunity to seek "help" if he actually wanted it. He doesn't. He made a choice & now must live with the consequences. Give him his trial & be done with it. Goodbye, see ya loser. Time to protect society now. The tragedy is he has caused so much harm up until this point in time.
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sotired
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10-21-09 9:12 AM
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Oh come on now brat. You have to realize that the mental illness comes first. Alcohol and drugs are used as a means to mask pain, hide from ones past and not have to deal with the demons. Alcoholism comes when someone is dependent upon alcohol to survive. I dont think that anyone would say people use alchohol as an excuse to commit crimes. The troubles were already there and are obviously run deep. Im not excusing what this man did but as someone who has dealt with alcoholics and has seen mental illness first-hand, you are way off base, out of touch and close-minded. sorry.
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armybrat
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10-21-09 8:55 AM
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This is a case of not waiting for a trial date. The man needs to be sentenced and removed from the public. I have never bought the excuse of alcoholism and drugs being an illness. People choose to do this and then when they commit a crime, liberals start crying that the person has an illness. Get him off the streets and put him where he can't harm anyone else. Geez, he shot his daughter and killed her dog, what more evidence is needed?
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