ROMNEY, W.Va. — A Romney man was charged Monday in connection with the death of a Kirby woman who disappeared in 2020, Hampshire County Sheriff Nathan Sions said.
Daniel L. Wright, 35, was charged with one count each of first- and second-degree murder, according to electronic magistrate court records. Wright was already incarcerated at the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta on an unrelated charge of wanton endangerment with a firearm.
Kristy M. Plumley, 39, was initially reported missing by family members Nov. 15, 2020, Sions said via release.
In a missing person post from February 2021, the sheriff’s office said Plumley’s family last spoke with her Oct. 13, 2020, when she told them she was moving to a residence in Kirby. She was originally from the Strasburg, Virginia, area.
Wright and Plumley had an “on-and-off relationship,” Sions said.
Sions said human skeletal remains were recovered by the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office and West Virginia State Police under the Clifford Hollow Bridge along Corridor H in Hardy County Dec. 18, 2022.
“Due to the extent of decomposition, it was not until January 2025 that the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office received confirmation that the remains were those of Plumley,” Sions said.
A witness came forward following Wright’s arrest in the unrelated case Dec. 23, leading law enforcement to other witnesses being identified and interviewed, Sions said.
With those interviews and a follow-up interview with Wright, authorities believe that Wright strangled Plumley during an altercation before throwing her body over the bridge, Sions said.
“Countless hours of investigative work has gone into this case and the investigation is continuing,” the sheriff said.
Sions said no additional details would be released at this time.