Woman shot dead in WV parking lot; Ex-husband charged with murder

Photo byWest Virginia Eastern Regional Jail

BERKELEY COUNTY, W.Va. – A Page County native is behind bars after he allegedly shot and killed his ex-wife in an urgent care parking lot.  

According to a media release from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), police responded to a reported shooting at WVU Urgent Care in Spring Mills at 8:41 a.m.on Monday. 

When deputies arrived, they discovered 49-year-old Jennifer Conley of Hedgesville in the parking lot, unresponsive.  Having suffered an apparent gunshot wound, Mrs. Conley was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Witnesses were able to provide BSCO deputies with a description of the male suspect and his vehicle. A short time later, Martinsburg City police officers located and stopped the suspect. A firearm was recovered from the vehicle and the subject was taken into custody. 

The suspect was identified as 53-year-old Dennis Conley of Hedgesville (formerly of Shenandoah).  He was the shooting victim’s ex-husband.  

Criminal investigators soon learned that Mr. Conley had been making threats towards Mrs. Conley in the months preceding the shooting.

Dennis Conley was charged with murder and placed in the Eastern Regional Jail. He was later arraigned by Magistrate Thompson and remanded to the regional jail without bond.

WVU Medicine Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers said in a Monday Facebook post that WVU Urgent Care was not the target of the incident and that the general public was not in any danger.  The facility remained closed for the day and reopened on Tuesday.  

The shooting case remains an active investigation.  

Anyone with additional information is urged to contact BSCO Deputy D. Jenkins at (304) 267-7000.