Eppes heads to trial Wednesday

Published 12:02 pm Wednesday, September 7, 2016

A Saxe man arrested in June for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of his girlfriend more than a year ago will go on trial Wednesday.

According to online court information, the trial for Edward DeShawn Eppes, 29, will begin at 1 p.m.

A grand jury indicted Eppes June 8 following the results of a Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigation and an examination of evidence by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond. Deputies arrested Eppes four days later.

The case stems from an Aug. 15, 2015, incident when, according to a sheriff’s office report, Eppes’ 27-year-old girlfriend, Karen Goode, was found dead from a gunshot wound. The report indicated Eppes called the sheriff’s office from the Drakes Branch area and said his girlfriend had been shot.

Eppes has been held at the Charlotte County Jail since his arrest without bond.

Involuntary manslaughter is defined in the Code of Virginia as unintentionally causing the death of another person. It is a class five felony punishable by one to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $2,500.