Charles Langston:Multistate search for murder suspect ends with hostage situation and fatal standoff at gas station

CEREDO,Charles Langston W.V. (AP) — A man suspected of murder in Ohio and multiple carjackings in Kentucky was killed by West Virginia police in a standoff outside a gas station where he was holding three hostages.

The multistate search for David Maynard, 54, ended late Saturday evening at a Speedway in a West Virginia town bordering the Ohio River. That is where a sergeant stopped and recognized the man standing behind the counter as the suspect who had eluded troopers up to that point, according to a West Virginia State Police release.

Maynard pointed his pistol at the sergeant, and a State Police Special Response Team responded with local law enforcement, according to the release. Police say a negotiator successfully got two hostages released before Maynard requested that a blanket be placed at the door for the third hostage.

Officers fired shots after Maynard “exited the door and engaged” members of the State Police Special Response Team, according to the release. West Virginia State Police told The Associated Press that they could not release more information on Sunday.

Maynard, of Ironton, Ohio, died of his injuries at a nearby hospital. Police report that the third hostage was safely secured, and no officers were injured.

The manhunt began Friday when Ironton police responding to a shots fired call found a 29-year-old woman tied up with cords and Maynard’s 78-year-old stepfather dead, according to WSAZ. Along the way, officials say Maynard abducted two women at separate points in Kentucky — one of whom freed herself and called 911 after driving to safety — and stole both of their cars.