Man denies charges in W.Va. sniper-style slaying

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A man charged in the 2003 sniper-style slaying of a West Virginia woman says he's innocent.

In a letter provided to The Charleston Gazette, Shawn Thomas Lester writes that the victim was his friend and he has nothing to hide.

Lester was arrested on a murder charge March 31. The 35-year-old is accused of killing 31-year-old Jeanie Patton in August 2003.

Patton was one of three people fatally shot outside convenience stores. The shootings terrorized Kanawha County residents that summer.

In his letter, Lester writes that he has voluntarily participated in several interrogations by investigators since the shootings. He also offers condolences to the victims' families. He remains in custody at a jail.

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Information from: The Charleston Gazette, http://www.wvgazette.com