Wayne County man convicted of First-Degree Murder hung himself

Elijah Jarvey Marcum, 20, of Wayne WV passed away from self inflected suicide in the Mount Olive Correction Complex in WV. Marcum pled guilty in 2016, to first-degree murder for aiding and abetting Jeremy Marcum in the 2014 Genoa stabbing death of 77-year-old James “Red” Bundy.

In 2017 Marcum was sentenced to Mount Olive after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and grand larceny for stealing Bundy’s ATV. Marcum would have been eligible for parole after serving 10 years of his sentence.

The Chief Medical Examiner report is still pending but at this time all evidence identified shows the inmate hung himself.

Officials found Marcum and he was immediately taken to the infirmary for medical attention, Lawrence Messina, Director of communications for the WV Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, said Marcum was pronounced dead.

Jeremy Marcum committed the stabbing by plunging a knife repeatedly into Mr. Bundy and injuring his wife during the home invasion. Melissa Gail Watts, 35, and Marcum were convicted in their roles of the home invasion. The three of them spent the day using drugs and making plans and encouraging the attack.

Watts pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Jeremy Marcum received life without the possibility of parole.