Co-conspirator testifies in trial for man accused of bloody Fairmont homicide

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — The trial for Naquan Warren, who is accused of beating a man to death with a pipe or bat in 2022, continued on Wednesday, with the co-conspirator, Shekea Fox, testifying against him.

Warren and Fox were arrested after the suspicious death of 28-year-old Sean Gardiner , of Detroit, Mich. During Warren’s trial on Wednesday, a forensic pathologist testified to the trauma the victim suffered, including a broken skull and brain hemorrhage, suggesting Gardiner was killed with a heavy object, like a pipe or bat. However, no weapon was ever found.

Court documents from 2022 said the victim was believed to have a large amount of cash on him when he was killed. Fox, who testified as part of a plea deal and was charged with robbery, assault and conspiracy, said she set up the robbery under pressure from Warren, and that she informed Warren when Gardiner was asleep so he could rob him. She also testified that she could hear the bat hitting Gardiner and saw Warren standing over the body.

Although blood was spattered throughout the crime scene, including on the ceiling, no DNA evidence linking Warren to the scene was presented.

Cellphone and payment records between Fox and Warren were also presented, but Warren’s lawyers challenged Fox’s credibility, saying she had misled investigators and changed her story over the course of the investigation.

The defense rested without calling any witnesses, choosing to rely on the assertions that no DNA evidence links Warren to the crime, and no murder weapon was found.

The trial will continue on Thursday, Aug. 15.

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