New details released about McPeak case

Recent court documents filed in the murder case against Randy McPeak, 43, of Berkeley Springs provide more specific details of the events that led up to the shooting of Heather Harris, McPeak’s ex-girlfriend, in her Hagerstown home on June 10.

McPeak has been charged with her murder, burglary, assault and false imprisonment, in addition to several other lesser charges stemming from a seven-hour standoff with police on June 10 at Harris’ home along the Dual Highway in Hagerstown.

A Washington County Grand Jury indicted McPeak on the charges June 28.
State’s Attorney Joe Michael is the lead on the case against McPeak.

In a “Bill of Particulars” filed late last month in Washington County Circuit Court, Michael and his staff set down timelines for the June 10 murder, and events over several weeks leading up to that crime.

Text & cell phone records
The court document lists extensive cell phone calls and text messages between McPeak and Harris, which continued even while the Morgan County man was under a Maryland court order forbidding him to contact or harass Harris at her home or work by any means.

McPeak is accused of shooting Harris twice in the head with a handgun on June 10, then keeping police from entering the home or providing emergency care for her for several hours.

During the June 10 standoff, special police teams were able to enter the home and pull Harris from the house, then transport her to the hospital in Hagerstown. She died several days later from the gunshot wounds.

Another local connection
According to court documents, Hagerstown police were alerted to Harris’ shooting by McPeak’s best friend, Kelly Tritapoe, listed by police documents as a resident of Great Cacapon.

In their original charging documents, police reported received a 911 call from Tritapoe around 3 p.m. on June 10, saying McPeak had called her and indicated that he had done something to Harris.

Court records said Tritapoe tried to reach McPeak at work and went to Harris’ home in Hagerstown when she couldn’t locate McPeak. According to police, Tritapoe then called 911 when McPeak wouldn’t let her inside Harris’ house.

Police remained at Harris’ house until after 7 p.m. on June 10, when McPeak surrendered himself. According to police and court documents, McPeak confessed to shooting Harris.

His murder trial is scheduled for December 6.