The McDowell County Grand Jury convened in Welch during its October term and on Oct. 27 publicly released a list of more than 40 felony indictments against area residents, according to local media reports. The charges include an unusual concentration of cemetery desecration cases, multiple drug-trafficking counts, and at least one solicitation-of-a-minor charge, marking a significant moment in the county’s ongoing struggle with crime tied to economic decline and opioid addiction.

At the center of the cemetery-related prosecutions are three men charged with five counts each of cemetery desecration: Grantlen Crigger of Bradshaw and Isaiah Pruitt of Jolo, both reported to be in their 30s, and Michael Underwood of North Tazewell, Virginia. Prosecutors also lodged conspiracy allegations alongside the desecration counts in some of those cases, suggesting organized activity rather than isolated vandalism. The indictments were published via court channels and carried in a detailed WVVA article on Oct. 27, 2025, with a complementary report from WVNS noting the breadth of the grand jury’s work, including attempted murder and arson among the filings.

The indictment list also highlights drug-distribution investigations. DeShawn Hairston of Premier faces charges of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl along with ketamine and xylazine, while Bradley Vernatter and Bridgett Spencer of Mohawk are accused of distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. The filings include multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, reflecting prosecutors’ efforts to stem the flow of synthetic opioids and stimulants that have afflicted Appalachian communities.

A single count of solicitation of a minor was returned against James Kerekes, a 70-year-old resident of Berwind, amplifying longtime local concerns about child safety in an area with limited access to behavioral health services and social supports. While no schools or major institutions were named in the indictments, the nature of some offenses — particularly the cemetery desecrations and solicitation charge — reverberates through small, tightly knit towns where communal memory and family networks are integral to daily life.

McDowell County has for years faced deep economic distress, with poverty rates above 30 percent and a public-health crisis driven by opioid addiction. The current slate of indictments thus intersects with wider structural pressures: law-enforcement agencies are leanly staffed, social-service providers struggle to meet demand, and nonprofit organizations play an outsize role in meeting basic needs. Local cemeteries, many tied to the coal-mining heritage of the county, serve as repositories of that shared history, and vandalism there can have outsized symbolic impact on community morale and on modest heritage tourism.

Court proceedings and potential arrests are still pending. Reporters and residents are monitoring arraignments in McDowell Circuit Court and updates from the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office for confirmation of arrests and scheduled hearings. The grand jury’s October session signals both prosecutorial attention to a wide range of crimes and the continuing need for coordinated local responses — from increased patrols and cemetery protections to expanded drug-treatment and youth-safety services — if the county is to reduce recidivism and rebuild community trust.