Morgan Lee Lott Obituary – Man faces murder charges after a body was discovered in Vienna, police say. A body was discovered in Wood County on Saturday evening that kicked off a murder investigation and an arrest, police say. Reports came in just before 4:30 p.m. of an unresponsive person in an apartment on the1200 block of 19th Street. Upon arrival, Vienna police discovered a deceased female, Morgan Lee Lott, 22, and began collecting evidence and interviews.
According to the Vienna Police Department, the investigation identified Hearl Thomas Collins, 31, as a suspect and with the help of Parkersburg detectives, U.S. Marshals Office and state police, he was located in the Stonewood area of Harrison County. Authorities secured a warrant for first-degree murder and SWAT teams executed the warrant, arresting Collins who is being held at North Central Regional Jail awaiting trail. The investigation into the case in still ongoing.
At approximately 4:24 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2024, Vienna Police were dispatched to 1202 19th Street Apartment 6, Vienna for an unresponsive person. Officers located a deceased female inside who suffered from an apparent gunshot wound. The individual was located by a family member who immediately contacted 9-1-1. Vienna Police arrived and investigators identified 22 year old Morgan Lee Lott (Stutler) as the victim. Vienna Police Detectives and uniformed officers secured the crime scene and began to gather information. While a search warrant was obtained for the crime scene, additional investigators interviewed witnesses and collected other information.
As a result, a suspect, Hearl Thomas Collins, was identified. Vienna Police, with the assistance of Parkersburg Detectives, processed the crime scene and evidence was collected. Arrangements were made with the Coroner’s Office to transport the deceased to the Office of the West Virgina Medical Examiner for autopsy. Working through the night, Vienna Police Detectives continued their investigation into the murder of Ms. Lott and further pursued leads regarding Mr. Collins. Working with the United States (U.S.) Marshals Office and the West Virginia State Police (WVSP), officers located Mr. Collins at a Harrison County, West Virginia residence. Using information gathered through their investigation, Vienna Police Detectives secured an arrest warrant for Hearl Thomas Collins for the First-Degree Murder of Morgan Lee Lott (Stutler).
