A Bluefield, West Virginia, man faces murder and body concealment charges after a woman who moved to the state for a job opportunity was found dead in a wooded area.
Online court records show Donald Ray Pennington is charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a deceased human body. Pennington has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Local news stations reported that the charges stem from the disappearance of Angel Whitaker. Her family in Virginia had not heard from her since mid-April, leading to a missing persons report.
According to a criminal complaint cited by WCYB, Whitaker first met Pennington while she was working at an auto parts store in Bristol, Virginia. Investigators state that Pennington offered Whitaker a job as an assistant manager, which prompted her to move to West Virginia to live with him.
READ: Florida Flashlight Fight Ends In Choking And Major Drug Arrest In Lakeland
The situation deteriorated over the following weeks. Investigators reviewed Whitaker’s Facebook messages and interviewed an individual who stated that Whitaker and Pennington’s relationship was breaking down. Police also spoke with Whitaker’s sister, who reported that Whitaker had recently stayed at a hotel specifically to get away from Pennington.
Authorities eventually discovered Whitaker’s body in a wooded area in Bastian, Virginia, located just under 20 miles from Bluefield.
Whitaker, a mother of three, is survived by her children. Her son, Braiden Cross, has since organized a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of her funeral.
“My siblings and I are all very young, and we simply cannot afford the funeral expenses on our own,” Cross wrote in the fundraiser description.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
