Jury returns guilty verdict for man charged with voluntary manslaughter

MASONS COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A verdict was reached Friday in the trial against a man charged with killing another man and attempting to conceal the body in the bed of a truck.

According to Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Seth Gaskins, Anthony Yester, of Leon, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and concealment of a deceased human body.

The gruesome discovery was made along Gill Ridge Road around 1 p.m. Oct. 28, 2021.

Man facing murder charges after body found in bed of truck

According to court documents, members of a tree service noticed a truck parked under a power tower with a burn trail beside it. Upon further investigation, a volunteer firefighter working with the team discovered a man who appeared to be dead in the bed of the truck.

A criminal complaint states most of the man’s head was covered with a black trash bag and multiple bloody fingerprints were located on the tailgate of the truck.

On the driver side of the truck and continuing past the rear of the vehicle was a trail of burnt grass, officials say.

When the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Unit arrived, they made the determination that the victim was not killed at the location, rather transported to the spot.

On October 29, the victim was positively identified by the West Virginia State Medical Examiner’s Office as Paul Wesley Matheny, 41, formerly of Leon.

An autopsy confirmed Matheny was shot in the head.

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