Howard Shriver

MIDDLEBOURNE – Howard Shriver will wait to have his case considered by a Tyler County Grand Jury after he waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday morning in Tyler County Magistrate Court.

Shriver, 32, of Wilbur, was arrested Oct. 9 on charges of attempted murder, nighttime burglary and violation of a domestic protection order during an incident in which he allegedly attempted to break into a home and attack those inside with an axe-like tool.

According to the sheriff’s office, dispatchers received the call in reference to a possible violation of a domestic violence order. Neighbors of Shriver allegedly observed him driving toward his home without his headlights on, and he was driving down a lane that led to the home where his wife and two young children were.

Deputies later determined the alleged gunshots heard came as Shriver allegedly struggled to break into the home and a vehicle.

According to the police report, Shriver appeared to have disabled the telephone and used a splitting maul to gain entry into the home, battering open the door and allegedly threatening his wife and children with the splitting maul.

The daughter was able to flee the home on foot, while the mother and son attempted to flee in a vehicle. The suspect then allegedly tried to attack them while in the vehicle, disabling the car. The police report states the mother and son fled on foot into the fields and weeds nearby, coming out only after they saw the suspect leave.

Shriver was stopped by Shinnston Police at 1:38 a.m. and taken into custody. He faces a felony DUI charge in Harrison County, along with the charges in Tyler County. He has been held in the North Central Regional Jail in Greenwood on $15,000 bond from Harrison County and $500,000 bond from Tyler County since the incident occurred.

On Tuesday, after meeting with his attorney David White for several minutes, Shriver chose to waive his preliminary hearing. According to Tyler County Prosecutor Luke Furbee, the case is expected to be heard by the next Tyler County Grand Jury, which is scheduled for February. Furbee said any additional charges that could potentially be filed would also be considered as part of the entire case.

Furbee said Shriver could face three to 15 years on the attempted murder charge and one to 15 years on the burglary charge.