Jermaine Justin Copeland, 36, was arrested in connection with the murder of Shirley Ann Wolfe, 47.

Schwertfeger said that shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday, Wheeling police were called to 107 Ohio Street for a 911 hangup call. Officers met with Copeland and Wolfe and, Schwertfeger said, because there was no cause to take action, the officers left.

Another 911 call was made around 9:15 p.m. and, according to the criminal complaint, when officers arrived, they found Copeland standing in the intersection of Virginia and Ohio streets with a bleeding cut on his right hand. They also allegedly saw an “unknown liquid consistent with blood” on his clothes.

When an officer asked Copeland if the blood on his clothes was his, Copeland allegedly didn’t answer. He later allegedly said, “I think she’s hurt real bad,” and when an officer asked Copeland who was hurt, Copeland allegedly responded, “I’ve said too much.”

Jermaine Copeland

Copeland allegedly tried to walk away multiple times and was told to stop. According to the criminal complaint, Copeland allegedly said, “I think she’s dead.” Copeland was put in a police cruiser and officers then went to 107 Ohio Street for a welfare check. After knocking and getting no answer, officers forced open the door and found Wolfe dead on the floor with severe injuries that Schwertfeger said were consistent with blunt force trauma.

A search warrant was obtained for Copeland’s clothes and shoes and officers allegedly found hair on Copeland’s shoe consistent with Wolfe’s hair and that the tread on Copeland’s shoe was consistent with a bloody shoeprint left on Wolfe’s stomach.

According to the criminal complaint, when Copeland was being checked into the Northern Regional Jail, he allegedly told staff there that “he had killed his wife.” Schwertfeger declined to comment on the statements Copeland made according to the criminal complaint.

Wolfe’s body was taken to Charleston where an autopsy was to be conducted.

Schwertfeger said that the incident was domestic-related with a possible “mental health component.”

Schwertfeger reiterated that the officers who responded to the initial call had no probable cause to act, and felt horrible that they weren’t able to stop Wolfe’s death.

“So, in addition to a tragic death, I have Wheeling Police officers that are feeling pretty terrible right now that this occurred after being there about an hour earlier,” Schwertfeger said. “…I can assure you that, even though some people might say that Wheeling Police should have prevented this, there was absolutely nothing they could have done, absolutely nothing. It’s just an unfortunate situation.

“It’s just awful that we were just there,” Schwertfeger added, “but what was located, what was discussed and the interactions that occurred, there wasn’t really a concern that any of this would happen. Nonetheless, it did.”