KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) — A man who was found guilty of first-degree murder in Preston County back in May could be charged in another murder case where he allegedly hid a body in a pond.
According to a release from the Preston County Sheriff's Office, Andrew Prutnick, 30 of Albright, who was convicted of the 2020 murder of Ryan Sines in May, could also be involved in the 2020 death of Todd Saunders.
Prudnick's girlfriend, Ashlee Saunders—who was given an immunity agreement for cooperation with her father's death investigation—recently said that Prudnick also murdered her father in September 2020 and hid his body in a pond. Todd Saunders was originally reported missing on Oct. 27, 2020, and his body was found about a month later. Investigation revealed that he had lived with Prudnick and Ashlee at the time of his death and was a cancer survivor who was "virtually defenseless," according to the Preston County Sheriff's Office.
After Ashlee's statement, the Preston County Sheriff's Office secured physical evidence that supported her account of the murder.
She also told deputies that Thomas Dunbar, 36 of Oakland, Maryland knew about the murder within about a week of it happening. During the investigation, Dunbar had denied any knowledge of the murder in multiple statements, according to the sheriff's department's release. Dunbar later confessed that he had lied to police and that Prudnick had admitted to him that he had murdered Todd and hid his body in the pond.
Dunbar was arrested by the Garrett County Sheriff's Office on a charge from the Preston County Sheriff's Office for concealment of a deceased human body and will be extradited to West Virginia, according to the Preston County Sheriff's Office.
Prudnick is being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail for his conviction for the murder of Ryan Sines. He has not yet been charged in relation to Todd's death. The Preston County Sheriff's Office released that they have sent their Criminal Investigation Report to the Preston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for them to consider charges against Prudnick for Todd's murder.
Prudnick's sentencing for Sines' murder is scheduled for Sept. 7, 2022, at 1 p.m.
Along with the release, the Preston County Sheriff's office said that anyone with further information should contact Captain T. N. Tichnell at 304-329-1611.