2 Teens Held in Beating Death of Gay Man

Two teenagers beat a gay man to death, then drove over his body several times to make it look like a hit-and-run, police say. Gay rights groups demanded to know Friday whether the victim was killed because of his homosexuality.

Police said two 17-year-old boys confessed to killing Arthur “J.R.” Warren Jr., 26. They were charged with first-degree murder.

Authorities have refused to specify a motive, but Sheriff Ron Watkins said: “All of them were longtime acquaintances. I think it was something done in a moment of anger. We have no indication that it was a hate crime.”

Warren’s mother, Brenda Warren, said her slightly built son had been constantly harassed about being different in the rural town of about 700. “He would just accept it and not hold a grudge.”

The victim, a Baptist church usher who was unemployed, had described the harassment to a gay support group at nearby Fairmont State College.

“He said he was attacked by some high school boys in Grant Town before,” group leader Angela Dunlap said. “People would throw things at him as he walked down the street, call him ‘queer’ and other names.”

The Human Rights Campaign, based in Washington, sent a field director Friday to investigate, and the West Virginia Lesbian and Gay Coalition demanded a public explanation of the case.

Police said the boys beat Warren late Monday night at a vacant house they were painting. After dumping his body on a road and driving over it several times, the boys returned to the house and wiped up some of the blood, the sheriff said.

Investigators thought they were dealing with a hit-and-run until a third teenager confessed he had helped clean up the crime scene.

“We’re grateful to the boy who confessed,” said father Arthur Warren Sr. “He’s got my forgiveness.”