Aug. 27—CRoark @DominionPost.com MORGANTOWN—Jurors in Monongalia County Circuit Court began Tuesday for the murder trial of a Texas man accused of killing 26-year-old Jacob Patrick Lough in his Morgantown home in January 2024.
Prosecutors claim Jonathan Ramirez, of Watauga, disguised as fictional movie killer Michael Myers, broke into Lough’s home in the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 2024, and fatally attacked him while he slept. The two men did not know each other.
“This is a case about murder, ” The Prosecuting Attorney, Gabrielle Mucciola told jurors in opening statements. “In the early morning hours … this man, this defendant, brutally and mercilessly murdered 26-year-old Jacob Patrick Lough. Jacob Lough was a stranger to this man, a sleeping stranger in his own home.”
Over the course of the day, the state called 10 witnesses, including law enforcement officers, forensic experts, and neighbors from the area where the killing occurred. Jurors were told they will see a bloody palm print recovered from Lough’s wall that investigators said matched the defendant, as well as DNA evidence linking him to a Michael Myers mask found at the scene.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured the defendant later that morning driving Lough’s car while wearing the victim’s hat, coat, pants and West Virginia University backpack, apparently trying to blend in on campus. He was arrested by WVU Police carrying a loaded 9mm handgun and two extra magazines.
The state outlined a broader description suggesting the crime was planned. According to prosecutors, the defendant drove from Texas to Morgantown and initially tried to contact a young female he knew from online, sending repeated text messages despite her refusals to see him. When those attempts failed, they said, he “began his hunt for someone to kill.”
Neighbors testified about finding footprints in their yards leading toward Lough’s house, and home surveillance footage was shown of the defendant moving through the neighborhood, peering over fences and lingering near doorways before selecting Lough’s smaller home as his target.
In opening statements, defense attorneys urged jurors to remember the presumption of innocence, emphasizing that the burden of proof lies entirely with the state.
“That presumption remains with him until and unless the state meets its burden of proof in this case, ” Andrew Cook, The defense attorney told jurors. “It is not a formality. It is the very basis of our system of justice.”
The trial is expected to continue this week as the state presents additional evidence before turning the case over to the defense.