Published: September 11, 2008 08:27 pm      

Man charged in Boissevain murder will stand trial

TAZEWELL, Va. — A judge found probable cause Thursday in the case against a Boissevain man charged with fatally shooting his neighbor and wounding the man’s wife more than a year ago.

General District Court Judge Jack Hurley bound the case against Paul Daniel Jarrett, 70, over to the next session of the Tazewell County grand jury. Jarrett is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Charles Allen Proffitt, 58, of Boissevain. Jarrett also is charged with malicious wounding in connection with the shooting of Tammy Proffitt.

Shortly after being arrested on July 9, 2007, defense attorneys for Jarrett filed a motion for a psychological evaluation.

“He was initially found to be incompetent to stand trial,” Commonwealth Attorney Dennis Lee said. “He was restored to competency.”

Thursday’s preliminary hearing was Jarrett’s first appearance in court on the first-degree murder and malicious wounding charges. The court heard testimony Thursday from Tammy Proffitt, and from Sgt. Mike Shawver, Officer Michelle Infante and Detective David Mills, all of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department.

Lee said an autopsy report showed Charles Proffitt had been shot nine times with a six-shot revolving handgun. Lee said the report indicated Jarrett had to reload the firearm during the course of the gunfire.

“I think there had been a dispute going on for a while,” Lee said. “But the testimony of the victim’s wife was that Mr. Proffitt on this Sunday afternoon decided to go over and make amends — try to patch up the relationship. He had taken two beers over for the two of them to drink. To try to bury the hatchet. Then after he left a short time later she heard gunfire, and went over to investigate what had happened. She found her husband laying on the ground.”

Lee said Jarrett then allegedly shot Tammy Proffitt striking her once in the upper shoulder area.

Jarrett remains incarcerated without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail of Tazewell. Hurley found probable cause in the case, and agreed to bound it over to the Nov. 10 session of the Tazewell County grand jury.

If convicted on the charge of first-degree murder, Lee said Jarrett faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and up to 20 years in prison on the malicious wounding charge.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com