Traveling carnival worker, 23, is unmasked as a serial killer as he confesses to killing two women in Tennessee and a 17-year-old girl in Georgia
- James Wright, of Virginia, charged with killing three young women in two states over the course of 18 days
- Wright reportedly admitted to shooting and killing Elizabeth Vanmeter, 22, of Tennessee, during an argument in February
- He claimed he shot dead his co-worker's daughter, Jocelyn Alsup, 17, by mistake while trying to hit an animal in the woods where the pair had sex
- On March 17, Wright said he shot 25-year-old Athina Hopson, of Tennessee, in the head after tripping and falling
- Police found bodies believed to be those of Alsup and Vanmeter buried on properties near Wright's home in Virginia
- Hopson's body has not been recovered after Wright told cops he dumped it in the river
A traveling carnival worker has been arrested on murder charges after officials say he confessed to killing two Tennessee women and a Georgia teenager who had been reported missing earlier this year.
James Michael Wright, 23, of Mendota, Virginia, was arrested on Thursday on three counts of capital murder after submitting to a police interview and reportedly admitting to shooting to death three young women over the course of 18 days.
Wright, who was employed as a sub-contract worker with the James H. Drew Carnival, told investigators with the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia that on or about February 28, he gunned down Elizabeth Vanmeter, 22, of Carter County, Tennessee, during an argument. Vanmeter was officially reported missing on March 17.
'Serial killer': James Wright, 23, a traveling carnival worker from Virginia (left and right), has been charged with killing two women and a teen girl over the course of 18 days
Wright was employed as a sub-contract worker with the James H. Drew Carnival and met all three victims through work
Share this article
On March 9, Wright told the cops he shot dead Jocelyn Alsup, 17, from Marietta, Georgia, after the two had sex in the woods.
Wright claimed that he tried to shoot an animal but inadvertently fired on Alsup. The girl, who was the daughter of Wright’s co-worker, had been reported missing a day earlier.
Then on March 17, the carnival worker stated that he shot 25-year-old Athina Hopson, of Johnson City, Tennessee, in the head after tripping and falling while armed with a gun.
During the interview, Wright reportedly recounted how he was transporting Hopson's body in the back of his truck when it fell out and rolled down an embankment near the bridge on Nordyke Road in Virginia.
He then retrieved the victim's body and dumped it in the river, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Hopson was reported missing by her mother on March 21.
Victim 1: Wright reportedly admitted to shooting and killing Elizabeth Vanmeter, 22, of Tennessee, during an argument on February 28
Victim 2: On March 9, Wright said told the cops he shot dead Jocelyn Alsup, 17, after the two had sex in the woods. He claimed he tried to shoot an animal but inadvertently fired on Alsup
Victim 3: On March 17, Wright said he shot 25-year-old Athina Hopson, of Johnson City, Tennessee, in the head after tripping and falling
When officers executed a search of properties surrounding Wright's home on Mendota Road on Friday, they recovered two human bodies believed to be those of Vanmeter and Alsup.
One body was dug up from a shallow grave, according to the sheriff's office, while the other was found near some logs. Police are still searching for Hopson's body.
Autopsies will be performed on the recovered remains to positively identify them.
Investigators also seized a 22.-caliber rifle that is believed to have been used in all three shootings.
Wright had met the victims through his work with the traveling carnival. He claimed that all three shootings were 'accidental,' which Sheriff Fred Newman said he found ‘hard to believe.’
Law enforcement in Virginia first became aware of Wright two weeks ago, when police in Jonson City, Tennessee, contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office seeking to set up an interview with the 23-year-old regarding Athina Hopson's disappearance.
It was Hopson's missing person report that brought the authorities to Wright's doorstep
Wright (left and right) insisted that all three women were shot accidentally. Two of the bodies were found buried near his home
the 23-year-old could be looking at the death penalty if convicted of capital murder
The investigation has established that Hopson was last seen in wright's company in March.
An interview was conducted, after which police obtained a search warrant for Wright's truck where they recovered Hopson's cellphone.
Wright is being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, Virginia, on three counts of capital murder, three counts of using a firearm in committing a murder and three counts of concealment of a dead body.
Washington County Commonwealth Attorney Joshua Cumbow said while the investigation is still in its early stages, ‘the death penalty is definitely on the table.’
Investigators at this time have no evidence suggesting that there are additional victims out there, but state authorities assisted by the FBI and the US Marshals Service are working with Wright’s employer to determine all the places the travelling carnival had visited to see if people were reported missing there.
