WEDNESDAY EVENING COVERAGE
Prosecutor Brian Abraham says that the majority of the preliminary hearings will be next week. We will keep you posted.

Megan is now recovering at home.

WEDNESDAY COVERAGE
The prosecutor and judge along plan to sit down today to sort out what will come next in the case. We should know more this afternoon.

TUESDAY EVENING COVERAGE
All six of the defendants in the Logan County tourture case now face kidnapping charges. It's a charge that could land them in prison for life.

Originally, Frankie and Bobby Brewster were the only two facing kidnapping charges.

In court Tuesday Frankie Brewster learned that she now faces a first degree sexual assault charge rather than the orginial charge of second degree sexual assault. The change means if she's convicted she could face more jail time. Also Tuesday the magistrate went ahead with her preliminary hearing. The magistrate ruled there was enough evidence to send her case to the grand jury. The criminal complaint states that Brewster admitted to the crimes it lists.

Also in court Tuesday was Danny Combs. Karen and Alisha Burton, along with George Messer were arraigned via video. Karen Burton had a lot to say during her arraignement. Things like "You aren't going to get me on that." Her daughter Alisha cried the entire time. Danny Combs, George Messer and Frankie Brewster were very quiet. Only talking to their lawyers or the magistrate.

Bobby Brewster was not in court Tuesday because his charges were not changed.

Tuesday's court proceedings revealed that Megan Williams went to Logan County willingly on August 2nd. It's the same day Bobby Brewster got out of jail on other charges. At some point- before her rescue on September 8th- investigators say the six held Williams against her will. During that time it's alleged that Williams went without food or water for four days.

Police say the victim was being held in the shed behind Frankie Brewster's trailer. The back door to the trailer was padlocked. Frankie Brewster allegedly sat on the front porch- even slept there to make sure Megan couldn't get in. Police say the suspects made threats that they would kill Williams if she tried to leave.

New criminal complaints reveal that Williams was hit with a fly swatter and a wooden stick. She was allegedly choked with a phone cord. Hot water and hot wax was poured on her. The complaints also allege she was also forced to bathe in a trash can in the back yard. She also told police that she was beaten while she was sexually assaulted.

TUESDAY MORNING COVERAGE

One of the six suspects charged with torturing a 20-year-old Charleston woman in Logan County was back in court Tuesday.

During a hearing, Tuesday morning, the Prosecutor dropped the charges against Frankie Brewster and then re-filed them. Brewster is now charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, and several misdemeanors including, battery and lying to investigators.

During her preliminary hearing, A magistrate found probable cause and sent Brewster's case to the Grand Jury.

Danny Combs, another suspect charged in the case, is also expected in court Tuesday.

The victim in the case, 20-year-old Megan Williams of Charleston, was allegedly forced to eat animal droppings and drink from the toilet of a home in Big Creek.

Williams' ordeal ended when an anonymous tip led to her September 8th discovery by Logan County sheriff's deputies.

ALSO Tuesday, Williams turned herself into to a magistrate in Kanawha County. Warrants were out for her arrest in Summers, Raleigh, and Greenbrier counties on worthless check charges. She was released on $8,000 bond.

LOGAN, W.Va. (AP) - Additional kidnapping and sexual assault charges are expected to be filed against some of the six people accused in the weeklong torture of a woman in Logan County.

Prosecutor Brian Abraham declined to elaborate on the new charges, except to say they would be filed either Monday or Tuesday.

Four of the defendants were expected to have magistrate court appearances Monday, but only one hearing actually took place. Abraham says the other hearings were pushed back because of questions over which magistrate will hear the cases.

Bobby Brewster appeared in court Monday afternoon. He didn't request a new magistrate, but the judge ruled Brewster will be held without bond.

Abraham says some of the six defendants have also secured new defense attorneys. Those lawyers were meeting with their clients Monday afternoon to make sure there are no conflicts of interest.

The hearings for Frankie Brewster and Danny Combs are still set for Tuesday. Alisha Burton, George Messer, and Karen Burton could also be in court Tuesday.

The victim in the case, 20-year-old Megan Williams of Charleston, was allegedly forced to eat animal droppings and drink from the toilet of a home in Big Creek.

Williams' ordeal ended when an anonymous tip led to her September 8th discovery by Logan County sheriff's deputies.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The six people charged with torturing a 20-year-old Charleston woman in Logan County are scheduled to appear in court in the next two days.

Four defendants are set for appearances in Logan County Magistrate Court tomorrow , and two others are scheduled for Tuesday court appearances.

Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham, though, says there could be delays for some of them.

At least two lawyers for the defendants have recused themselves from the case because they represented one or more of the defendants in the past.

The defendants scheduled to appear tomorrow are Bobby Brewster, George Messer, Alisha Burton and Karen Burton. Frankie Brewster and Danny Combs are scheduled to appear Tuesday.

Black ministers and civil rights leaders today urged patience for the legal process and prayer for the physical and mental health of a black woman who was allegedly tortured for about a week.

Leaders from the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and
local groups met at a church in the Logan County community of Cora.

Most of the public's questions centered on the racial aspect of
the case. According to a criminal complaint, Megan Williams was
called a racial slur while she was being abused by at least one of
the six white suspects.

Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham has said a hate crime
charge remains an option, but he wants to first pursue charges that
carry stiffer penalties.

State NAACP Director Kenneth Hale asked the black community not
to arbitrarily demand the hate crime charge until the investigation
is complete. But some in the church audience questioned that call.

An attorney for one of the six defendents filed a motion asking the magistrates to step-down because they made comments about the case to the local media.

That prompted Leonard Codispoti to recuse himself from the case. Magistragte Dwight Williamson responded by saying he could be impartial, but a Logan County Judge said he must be removed.

Magistrate Jeffrey Lane will now handle the cases against the six suspects. If more help is needed it can be brought in by a neighboring county.

Meanwhile, community activists in Logan have planned a rally for Saturday. The NAACP is hosting the event at the St. Phillips Baptist Church at 10am. The Church is in Cora. Members of the Logan County Improvement League will also be on hand. Reggie Jones with the league says he wants to work with the NAACP to show all of Logan County that racism will not be tolerated.

We spoke again with the Logan County Prosecutor about the possibility of hate crime charges being filed.

He says that is still a possibility, but that the hate crime charges right now aren't the priority. He says there are so many other stronger charges he's focusing on right now. He adds he respects the family’s opinion but says his office needs to make its own determination.

As for whether or not Megan knew any of these people before. Her parents say they didn't think so but beyond that aren't commenting. They say that has no relevance to what happened to her.

That’s what many are asking about the torture of a woman in Logan County. The U.S. Attorney's Office has said they won't bring federal hate crime charges against the people accused. That is not sitting well with the family of Megan Williams.

They say it couldn't be any clearer and, in fact, they were outraged to think hate crime charges weren't going to be filed. Now while it's true the federal government isn't pursuing those charges, that doesn't’t mean the state won't, but Thursday the parents of Megan Williams along with three local pastors held a press conference at CAMC General.

They say their daughter is making some physical improvements but believe the mental damage will never fully go away and they say everything she's told them only leads to one conclusion.

From the wire...
Representatives of black church groups are calling on prosecutors to reconsider their decision not to pursue the alleged torture of a young woman as a hate crime.

This afternoon, the church groups held a news conference attended by the parents of 20-year-old Charleston resident Megan Williams at Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital.

The Reverend Emanuel Heyliger of the Ferguson Memorial Baptist Church in Dunbar called Williams' ordeal barbaric, heinous and despicable.

Heyliger says whether or not Williams was known to any one of these perpetrators, that is no reason why this case should not be treated as a hate crime.
Williams' parents attended the news conference but declined to comment on the investigation.

Six people are accused in the sexual assault and beating of Megan Williams. Police say Williams was held captive for at least a week at the Big Creek home of one of the suspects. Williams was forced to eat animal droppings and drink from a toilet.

Logan County sheriff's deputies rescued Williams Saturday.

Crossed the Associated Press Wire at noon
KITCHEN, W.Va. (AP) - A relative of two people charged in a Logan County torture case says they've had a hard life.

Sixty-eight-year-old Carrie Brewster of the Logan County community of Kitchen is the mother of Frankie Brewster and grandmother of Bobby Brewster, but says she hasn't seen either of them for about two years.

Carrie Brewster confirmed that when he was 14, Bobby Brewster was accused of fatally shooting his father, Bisha Tomblin, in 1998. Other than that, the grandmother didn't want to talk about her grandson's or daughter's criminal pasts.

The Brewsters are among six people accused in the sexual assault and beating of 20-year-old Charleston resident Megan Williams. Police say Williams was held captive for at least a week at 49-year-old Frankie Brewster's Big Creek home, where she was forced to eat animal droppings and drink from a toilet.

Logan County sheriff's deputies rescued Williams Saturday.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

From WSAZ reports...

Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham says that preliminary hearings for the six suspects- set for early next week- could be pushed back. That's because he believes the appointed attorney's might have conflict of interests with the clients. It likely comes as no sup rise. Since 1991 the six suspects have a total of 108 charges against them.

Abraham says that he will meet with the Logan County Sheriff today at the earliest to amend the complaints in this case. He says that they are still actively interviewing suspects.

At this point, investigators believe that race was a contributing factor to this woman's torture she is black the six suspects are white, but according to the law and the nature of the crime the suspects did not meet the criteria to be charged with a federal hate crime.

The Logan prosecutor will have to decide if he will pursue hate crime charges on the state level. We also learned Wednesday that the victim Megan did know at least one of the suspects.

When deputies found Megan Williams' bruised and battered body inside this Logan County home investigators say it wasn't the first time she had been here.

According to court documents back in July Williams filed domestic battery and assault charges against Bobby Brewster one of the six suspects now charged with her torture.

"Which would lead us to believe she was there in the Logan County area, at least on that date-- Whether she remained here from that time until now is still being investigated," Brian Abraham said.

With Megan in a hospital room and under heavy sedation Tuesday, Carmen Williams spoke for her daughter, saying it wasn't uncommon for Megan to disappear for days at a time, but she never suspected her daughter was in danger.

"I just thought she was running around town like she usually does. I had no idea she was in Logan. Is it common for her to go to Logan,” Carmen Williams said.

Carmen Williams has now learned her daughter went to Logan County with a friend and according to the prosecutor she had some sort of social relationship with Brewster.

"As to whether it was a romantic relationship with these individuals, I can't comment on because we don't have that back for certain yet, but it is pretty clear to us that she was interacting with these people on dates prior to this most recent occurrence, which would negate the fact she was apprehended from some where else in the state and brought back here for this purpose," Abraham said.

If you recall, Williams was found in the Brewster’s home on Saturday when police went there to investigate an anonymous tip.

All six suspects are in jail on a $100,000 bond each. Logan County's prosecutor says there is nothing in the investigation that leads police to believe she was lured to the Brewster’s' home by someone she met over the internet.

The details of the accusations against the six suspects are beyond disturbing, but we can share with you some of the broad aspects of the allegations and the charges the six suspects are facing.

According to the criminal complaints Bobby Brewster raped and stabbed Megan during the time she was held captive in his home.

He also forced her to eat animal feces, lick-up blood, and drink from the toilet. Brewster's mother Frankie forced the 20 year old to perform oral sex and beat her.

Another woman Karen Burton allegedly choked Megan with a cable cord and cut her ankle, while taunting her with a racial slur.

Burton’s daughter Alisha is charged with pulling out Megan's hair and choking her. George Messer is accused of scalding Megan while she was sexually assaulted and Danny Combs is charged with rape and stabbing Megan.

Four of the six suspects will be in court Monday. George Messer, Alisha Burton, Bobby Brewster, Karen Burton all have hearings starting in Logan County.

Frankie Brewster and Danny Combs will be in court on Tuesday. The two hearings will start at 9 that morning.

First at Five: No Hate Drime Charges Being Filed

We found out late Wednesday afternoon that federal hate crime charges will not be filed in this case.

Investigators still believe that race was a contributing factor to this woman's week-long torture. She is black and the six suspects are white, but according to the law and the nature of the crime, the suspects did not meet the criteria to be charged with a federal hate crime.

The Logan prosecutor will have to decide if he will pursue hate crime charges on the state level. Prosecutor Brian Abraham says he's not willing to say it was the motive in this case, but again, he and police do believe it was a factor.

"If that's something we think can be filed once the investigation is complete, something we will consider,” Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham said, “Right now, we're focusing on the main part, the meat and potatoes, kidnapping, sexual assault, and malicious assault."

Prosecutor Abraham says kidnapping charges alone can carry a life-time sentence.

Williams is still recovering in the hospital Wednesday night. She is listed in fair condition.

Crossed the Wire at 2:03 pm Wednesday

Prosecutor: Logan County torture victim knew suspect

LOGAN, W.Va. (AP) - A Charleston woman held captive and tortured in a Logan County home for a week was apparently not a random target.

Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham tells The Associated Press that 20-year-old Megan Williams had some sort of prior social relationship to one of the six people accused in her sexual and physical abuse.

Abraham says there is nothing in the investigation thus far to indicate she was lured to the home by someone she met on the Internet -- as authorities were first led to believe. And he also says there is no evidence she was abducted from another point in West Virginia and taken to Logan County against her will.

Twenty-four-year-old Bobby Brewster was arrested July 18th in a domestic dispute involving Williams. Brewster was charged by State Police in that case with domestic battery, domestic assault and providing false information to an officer.

In the latest case, Brewster is charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, malicious wounding and assault during the commission of a felony.

Williams was found, battered and bruised, on Saturday at the Big Creek home of Brewster's mother after deputies went there to investigate an anonymous tip.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Posted at Noon Wednesday from WSAZ reporter Amanda Barren

Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham says that at this point investigators believe race was a contributing factor in this case of torture. What they are still investigating is whether or not it motivated the six suspects.

Abraham says that Tuesday night he met with an assistant from the US Attorney's office, the FBI and local law enforcement. We should know more later today about the role the Federal Governement is playing in this case.

6 defendants in torture case all have criminal pasts

BIG CREEK, W.Va. (AP) - The six people arrested for allegedly torturing a woman for days at a Logan County home are all familiar to law enforcement.

Since 1991, they have faced a total of 108 criminal charges.

The most serious of those charges involved 49-year-old Frankie Brewster, the owner of the Big Creek mobile home where the alleged abuse occurred. She was charged in 1994 with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter and wanton endangerment. Brewster was released from prison in 2000 after serving five years.

Brewster, her 24-year-old son Bobby Brewster, and four others are now facing charges in the alleged kidnapping, sexual assault and beating of 20-year-old Megan Williams of Charleston.

Among the other alleged abuses, Williams was forced to eat dog and rat feces, made to drink from the toilet, doused with hot water and had her hair pulled out and cut.

She was found Saturday by Logan County sheriff's deputies investigating an anonymous tip.

Authorities are also looking to see if hate crimes charges are warranted.

At least one of the six defendants, all of whom are white, allegedly referred to the victim, who is black, with a racial slur.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Community stunned by alleged abduction, torture of woman

BIG CREEK, W.Va. (AP) - Newborn pups sleep in the entryway to a small shed on a remote hillside in Logan County, their mother protectively barking at approaching strangers.

A few days earlier, the shed allegedly served a different purpose -- a part-time torture chamber for a young woman.

Authorities are investigating Megan Williams' weeklong captivity as a possible hate crime that one officer described as straight out of a horror movie. The 20-year-old Charleston woman is black and the six defendants charged in the case are white.

Williams was allegedly forced to eat rat and dog feces and drink from the toilet of a nearby mobile home. Criminal complaints say she was doused with hot water, choked with a cable cord, stabbed in the leg, and had her hair cut and pulled.

While residents who live near the Big Creek residence where the abuse allegedly occurred have expressed shock, the suspects have been known in some circles for their long arrest records. Since 1991, police have filed a total of 108 criminal charges against the six defendants.

Two others suspected of driving the woman to the home are being sought.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Tuesday, the mother of a woman, only twenty, who suffered both physical and emotional abuse and was held captive for at least a week, spoke out to the news media.
Carmen Williams told reporters she wanted people to know about this kind of abuse.

"I don't understand how anyone could go through the lengths they did, you know, things they done to my daughter," Carmen Williams said.

Williams says what happened to her daughter is an act of hate that's hard to understand.

"You never thought it could happen to your child. But obviously, I never thought.. that.. But here we are," Williams said.

In her hospital room, Megan is slowly recovering from the physical pain. There are scars around her neck where police say she was choked. Her arm is fractured in three places.

There are patches on her heard where her hair was cut out. But she may never heal from the emotional toll.
Police say she was repeatedly raped, forced to eat animal feces, drink blood and toilet water.
And the words hurt too. Investigators say during the torture, the suspects taunted Megan with racial slurs.
Carmen Williams says her daughter is living through a nightmare.

"She wakes up crying. The first thing she hollers is, "Mommy". She wants to make sure I'm here. As long as I'm here, I think she's pretty much OK. Now that she knows the people are in jail. She's been more relieved," Carmen Williams said.

Associated Press Story Tuesday

The mother of a Charleston woman who was held captive, beaten and sexually assaulted says her daughter will be scarred for a long time.

Carmen Williams says that family members are angry. She says they've been praying and asking God to help them through the ordeal. Carmen says it's important to tell her daughter's story to make sure this never happens again.

Police say the 23-year-old victim, Megan Williams, was held captive for at least a week at a Logan County home.

The FBI is investigating the case as a possible hate crime. The victim is black and all six defendants are white.

Police say Megan was sexually assaulted, stabbed in the left leg and beaten. She also was allegedly forced to eat rat and dog feces.

Logan County sheriff's deputies investigating an anonymous tip discovered Megan Saturday at the Big Creek home of 49-year-old Frankie Brewster.

Brewster and her son, 24-year-old Bobby Brewster, also of Big Creek, are charged in the case. The other defendants are 46-year-old Karen Burton; Burton's 23-year-old daughter Alisha Burton and 27-year-old George Messer; all of Chapmanville; and 20-year-old Danny Combs of Harts.

Local and federal officials plan to meet Tuesday evening to decide whether to file hate crime charges against the six people accused.

LOGAN, W.Va. (AP) - The FBI will investigate whether the alleged torture of a Charleston woman held captive in a Logan County home for at least a week was a hate crime.

Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Jay Bartholomew says the Logan County Sheriff's Department asked the FBI to look into the incident.

The 23-year-old victim, who is black, is being treated at an undisclosed hospital.

All six defendants are white.

Logan County sheriff's Sergeant Sonya Porter says the woman was sexually assaulted, stabbed in the left leg and beaten.

The criminal complaint says the woman was forced to eat rat and dog feces and drink from the toilet. One defendant also allegedly referred to her with a racial slur.

Deputies investigating an anonymous tip discovered the woman Saturday at the Big Creek home of 49-year-old Frankie Brewster.

Brewster and her son, 24-year-old Bobby Brewster, also of Big Creek, are charged in the case. The other defendants are 46-year-old Karen Burton; Burton's 23-year-old daughter Alisha Burton and 27-year-old George Messer; all of Chapmanville; and 20-year-old Danny Combs of Harts.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)