Charleston murder suspect arraigned, pleads not guilty

KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — A man accused of beating a woman to death with a vase in Charleston earlier this year was arraigned and pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Izak Surface, of Charleston, was also found competent to stand trial in the death of 36-year-old Lora Farley.

Farley’s body was found in a home in the 1600 block of Candler Drive in January 2024, the Charleston Police Department said at the time . According to a criminal complaint, Surface killed Farley on Jan. 18 by hitting her with a “large solid vase.”

Surface’s arrest came on Jan. 21 for a domestic battery charge where he allegedly pushed an older family member down the stairs for not giving him money, breaking both sides of their pelvis, according to a criminal complaint.

While being interviewed for the domestic battery charge, Surface said he hit Farley with the vase and strangled her, and then put her in a bed and covered up the blood, vase, and her face, the complaint said.

He was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Farley and was arraigned the same day as his domestic battery arrest.

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