Fayette County man sentenced for unlawful wounding

GAULEY BRIDGE, WV (WVNS) — A Gauley Bridge man was sentenced to prison for unlawful wounding in Fayette County.

59-year-old Barton R. DePaul, of Gauley Bridge, was sentenced on May 6, 2024 to one to five years in prison for the felony offense of unlawful wounding.

DePaul pleaded guilty to the unlawful wounding offense on March 13, 2024, and will need to spend at least one year in prison before being eligible for parole.

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies went to the Scrabble Creek area of Gauley Bridge in Fayette County on May 10, 2022 in response to reports of a shooting. When they arrived on scene, a man with multiple gunshot wounds was found. The man told members of law enforcement that he was shot by a man named “Bart.”

Once the victim was interviewed at Montgomery General Hospital, he stated that DePaul shot him when he was walking down the road near his house. DePaul was identified due to witness accounts recognizing his car, and he was arrested by law enforcement.

Testing was done for gunshot residue, and the West Virginia State Police Forensic Lab found that there was gunshot residue on DePaul’s hands, but the weapon used in the shooting was not found.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.