W.Va. man gets 4 to 10 years for rock beating conviction
A Fayette County judge on Wednesday ordered a West Virginia man to spend up to 10 years in prison for beating a Rices Landing woman on the head repeatedly with a rock.
Franklin Millard Broyles, 43, of Maidsville, was tried on charges of attempted homicide and aggravated and simple assault.
A jury acquitted him of the attempted homicide charge and convicted him of two counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple assault for the attack in Point Marion on 26-year-old Nicole Stallard.
Stallard’s father, Bill Stallard, addressed President Judge John F. Wagner Jr. prior to sentencing, saying his daughter is still suffering from the injuries she sustained on May 18, 2012.
“She gets a life sentence,” said Bill Stallard. “She’s never going to be the same again. She’s not the daughter I raised.”
Nicole Stallard testified during the trial that she and Broyles were close friends, and he wanted more from the relationship.
She told the jury that she went on an all-terrain vehicle ride with him, and when she refused his offer to go away with him to Kentucky, Broyles hit her on the head with a baseball-sized rock at least three times.
Nicole Stallard was discovered by her sister in a confused state in Broyles’ Point Marion home May 20, 2012, and doctors at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., later learned that the woman had bruising both outside and below the layer of protective sheathing around her brain, as well as contusions within her brain, according to testimony.
Although Broyles did not testify at the trial, his attorney, Jason Taylor, argued that the injuries occurred as a result of an ATV accident. Broyles maintained his innocence at Wednesday’s sentencing.
“I’m sorry for what happened to the girl, but I didn’t do it,” he said.
Wagner sentenced Broyles to four to 10 years in prison, and indicated that the court had taken into consideration the fact that Broyles would not admit to hitting Nicole Stallard with a rock.
“We also note that he has not displayed any remorse at any point,” said Wagner.
“Not even to turn and address the victim’s family to say he’s sorry.”