Published: April 09, 2007 11:58 am      

Argument over clothes, race, may have incited stabbing

KEYSER, W.Va. - Police believe an out-of-control argument over clothing - and race - may have led to the stabbing of a Burlington man over the weekend.

David Cory Gillespie, 25, was stabbed 24 times in the back while at a gathering of young people late Friday night. Mineral County Sheriff's Deputy R.J. Wingler said the incident stemmed from an argument that quickly escalated, resulting in Gillespie being left for dead outside in the driveway of the residence.

Wingler told the Associated Press that four teens and Gillespie were drinking alcohol at a Burlington residence when a racial comment involving clothing apparently sparked the violence.

"The strange part is that they were all white, but Gillespie started going on and on about them being black, dressing like they were black," Wingler told the AP. "Basically, it was over clothing."

"And, they were drunk," Wingler told the AP.

Gillespie's comments apparently led one of the two underage girls at the party to shove him to the floor, where he lay heavily intoxicated. Allegedly, Gillespie was then repeatedly stabbed by James Patrick Houdersheldt, while being kicked and beaten by Jared Nathaniel Citarelli, Wingler told the AP.

"Houdersheldt was apparently saying then that 'We need to get rid of the body,'" Wingler told the AP. "They were looking at it as if they had murdered somebody and had to get rid of the body."

Wingler said that the two went as far as dragging Gillespie outside the house and putting him onto an ATV for easy transport before changing their minds and fleeing the scene.

Police learned about the incident after a 911 call by one of the girls at the party who reported it as a homicide, but authorities soon found that wasn't the case.

"When we went by, he moved. He was semi-conscious, but he was in bad shape," Wingler said.

Gillespie remained in intensive care Sunday. Wingler said his condition was improving, but he has no recollection of the events leading to the stabbing.

"He doesn't remember anything from the time he arrived" at the residence, Wingler said. That residence, occupied by James Gillespie, is located in an isolated area of Patterson Creek Road. James Gillespie is a relative of the victim, who lives on Beaver Run Road.

Houdersheldt and Citarelli, both 18-year-old Keyser residents, are being held in the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail. Houdersheldt was charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding, while Citarelli was charged with malicious wounding and being an accessory after the fact. Both are being held on cash bonds. Houdersheldt's is $100,000, and Citarelli's is $50,000.

As the investigation continued Sunday, police executed a search warrant that led them to more suspected evidence.

"We executed an additional search warrant and found clothes that Houdersheldt had been wearing and a knife that he was believed to have used in the stabbing," Wingler said, indicating a second knife found. A knife was also found during Saturday's investigation. "We ... think one knife belongs to the victim. Certainly one belongs to Houdersheldt."

Because witness interviews - as well as that of the victim - have not been completed, Wingler said some questions remain about the events leading to the stabbing. That includes the actual time of the stabbing, which Wingler said police think may have happened around midnight. The first 911 call came into the Mineral County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security at 1:16 a.m. Saturday.

By the time police arrived at the scene, only Gillespie was there. But the remaining members of the group began returning not long afterward, leaving police to track down only Houdersheldt, who was found at an area hospital.

"Houdersheldt was located at Potomac Valley Hospital, where he was getting medical treatment for lacerations," Sheriff Gary White said Saturday.

According to Wingler, the cuts Houdersheldt sustained were "apparently self-inflicted during his stabbing the victim ... at some point ... his hand slid onto the blade."

Daleen Berry can be reached at dberry@times-news.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.