Three involved in beating of an elderly woman sentenced in Greenbrier County

LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVVA) - Two brothers and their sister were sentenced on Friday after being found guilty by a jury for their roles in the attack of an 87-year-old Greenbrier County woman.

According to the complaint, the incident happened last September around 5 p.m. in the evening in Rupert.

According to the victim’s statement, she was attempting to go to her home on Zopp Road when she noticed a bunch of people standing on the street and an open car door. Trying to avoid hitting the people and car, she said she swerved and did not realize she had hit the family’s dog.

The 87-year-old reported that when she returned home, she was confronted by Tanya Johnson, James Highlander, and Travis Highlander. She said Johnson had initially thrown a rock on her car before she was attacked, but that it all happened so fast she couldn’t identify which ones were attacking her.

The complaint said she was beaten so badly she had severe bruising and a brain bleed. The woman is currently at a regional hospital listed in serious condition.

While the two brothers initially told police the woman had lunged at them and fallen, the sister told police she saw James Highlander slamming the woman’s face into the ground. She said she had been advised by her brother to stick to the story that the woman had fallen.

In court on Friday, all three defendants were granted the option to serve their sentence on the charges on home confinement.

Johnson was handed a 2-10 year sentence on the Malicious Wounding charge and a 1-5 year sentence on the Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Assault charge. The judge ordered the sentences to be run consecutively.

Meanwhile, Travis Highlander was handed a 1-5 year sentence on the Unlawful Assault charge and a 1-5 year sentence on the Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Assault charge. The judge said he must complete the state’s substance abuse treatment program before he will be eligible for parole.

James Highlander was sentenced to 1-5 years on the Unlawful Assault charge and a 1-5 year sentence on the Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Assault charge.

The case was handled by Greenbrier County Prosecuting Attorney Patrick Via and investigated by the West Virginia State Police.

See past coverage here: Two brothers, sister charged with beating 87-year-old woman in Greenbrier County (wvva.com)

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