Case #1: The Murder at Cabin 13

  Hi everyone, I am so excited to share my love for true crime and tales of the paranormal with you! Being a native to West Virginia, I have decided to write about all of the terrifying murders as well as spooky tales from my very own backyard. Buckle up! You're in for a ride as we look into the grizzly story of the murder that is better known as the Murder at Cabin 13.......

  It was just another spring day at Babcock State Park located in Clifftop, West Virginia. The date was April 29th, 1996. Reverend James Michael Flippo and his wife Cheryl Lynn Flippo of Nitro, West Virginia arrived at the park to spend a romantic night away from home together at Cabin number 13. Or at least that is what Cheryl was led to believe anyway. 

  Cabin 13 is a secluded cabin down a very narrow one lane road at the end of the pavement. It is the last cabin on the road. Located down an embankment, there are a significant number of steps to access it. To get there from the park office you have to go across a bridge and turn right behind the grist mill. The cabin sets the scene for a perfectly peaceful place to get away from it all. 

  At 02:11 AM on April 30th, 1996, 911 received a phone call from a payphone located in Babcock State Park. The caller was James Michael Flippo, and he stated that he and his wife had been attacked by an intruder at the cabin they were staying at. Fayette County Sheriff's Department Deputy C. Bryant arrived at the main office at Babcock to find Mr. Flippo standing only in his underwear with a minor injury to one leg. 

  Mr. Flippo explained that he and his wife had arrived the prior evening. He stated that they had driven their green Cadillac, but it was stolen sometime during the night. Mr. Flippo also claimed that he left Cheryl at the cabin so he could get help once he determined she was still breathing. Deputy C. Bryant along with Rev. Flippo proceeded to return to the cabin at the end of the road to investigate the scene. 

  Upon arrival at cabin 13, the first thing to catch Deputy C. Bryant's attention was the red Chevrolet Camaro parked across the road from the cabin. Once inside Deputy C. Bryant found Mrs. Flippo lying next to the bed on the floor in a pool of blood. She had been brutally beaten in the head. Upon this discovery Deputy C. Bryant radioed for ambulances and backup that arrived shortly after. 

  James Michael Flippo was transported to a local hospital and treated for the injuries he sustained. Cheryl Lynn Flippo was determined to be dead upon examination from paramedics. Investigators began to search the crime scene to determine just what happened to Mrs. Flippo.  After investigating outside it was determined there were no suspicious footprints around the cabin. It was determined that there couldn't have been an intruder because if there were they would have found footprints due to the rain and the mud in the area. 

  The next piece of the puzzle was the red Chevy Camaro outside. After running the plates investigators determined that the vehicle belonged to a man by the name of Joel Boggess. When questioned after this finding, Mr. Flippo changed his previous story about the green Cadillac. Rev. Flippo proceeded to say that he borrowed the Camaro from his friend Joel for the weekend and that he had left his green Cadillac with Boggess in Nitro. 

  Inside the cabin investigators found a few clues that led them to believe the crime scene was staged to look like there was an intruder. Mrs. Flippo was beaten in the head with what was determined to be a piece of firewood. A roll of duct tape was found in the cabin as well as a small piece of it near Cheryl's body. Upon examination Mr. Flippo's fingerprints were found on this roll of tape. 

  There was a significant blood stain on the bed that was later determined to have been transferred deliberately with a pillow from the floor to look like a struggle had occurred in the bed. Another notable piece of evidence was a rocking chair that appeared knocked over due to some type of intrusion or altercation. Upon investigating folded clothes were found lying under the corner of the chair indicating that the chair had been carefully lain down in that position. Amongst the other evidence collected at the scene a briefcase was discovered. This briefcase contained photographs of a man in various stages of undress. These were later determined to be photos of Joel Boggess. 

  After further investigation into the Flippos' life, it was determined that the couple were devout Christians and that James Michael Flippo was the pastor of the Landmark Church of God in Nitro, West Virginia. After speaking with family, friends, neighbors and members of the church congregation new information surfaced that helped shed light on the case. 

  Claims were made about the nature of Mr. Flippo and Mr. Boggess's relationship and some stated that Mrs. Flippo was not pleased with the friendship. Upon interviewing Joel Boggess, it was determined that he and Rev. Flippo had been only friends but had taken multiple overnight trips together and even became business partners at some point. Boggess was also a member of Reverend Flippo's congregation at the church. 

  Another theory was brought to light about the Flippos' having a stalker at some point and Mr. Flippo had also made prior claims relating to this as well. This was determined to be false in relation to the murder of Cheryl due to lack of any evidence of an intruder. Investigators also discovered that Rev. Flippo had taken out a life insurance policy on his wife just weeks prior to her death. This made James Michael Flippo a definite person of interest due to the financial gain he was likely to receive from this horrific event.

  On May 3rd, 1996, Reverend James Michael Flippo was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Cheryl Lynn Flippo. On October 23rd, 1997, after the trial took place, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder and on November 3rd of the same year James Michael Flippo was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Mr. Flippo is currently serving his sentence at Mount Olive Correctional Complex in Mt. Olive, West Virginia. 

  Cheryl Lynn Jewell Flippo was born January 8th, 1950, in Gary, West Virginia. She passed away on April 30th, 1996, at the age of 46. 

  A life taken way to soon. 

Resources used: 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/98-8770.ZPC.html

https://casetext.com/case/flippo-v-mcbride-5

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca4/09-7216/097216.u-2011-03-15.html