Huntington , Cabell County , West Virginia

The suspect in a Cabell County beating case is now charged with murder.

Shane McCaffrey has been charged in connection to the death of Howard LeMaster, Lt. John Williams of the Huntington Police Department said Monday afternoon.

Police say LeMaster tried to break up a fight between McCaffrey and another man on the night of Aug. 20 in Huntington.

McCaffrey had been charged with malicious wounding, but police said LeMaster died over the weekend. Autopsy results concluded that LeMaster died of injuries he received in that incident. Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for more on this developing story.

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Huntington police say the autopsy results for a man who died less than a week after he was violently assaulted while trying to break up a fight may be released as early as Monday.

Howard LeMaster, the man police say was hit in the head with a cinder block while trying to stop a fight between two men at a home in the 200 block of Adams Avenue last week, died Saturday.

LeMaster’s body has been taken to the state medical examiner's for autopsy. Police say that if those results determine that LeMaster died as a result of the injuries he received during that assault, charges against Shane McCaffrey, the suspect arrested in the case, will be upgraded from malicious wounding to murder.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for the latest on this developing story.

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A man who was beaten with a cinder block during a fight at a party in Huntington earlier this week has died.

Family members say Howard LeMaster died Saturday afternoon.

25-year-old Shane McCaffrey is accused of hitting LeMaster in the head with part of the block Monday night in the 200 block of Adams Avenue.
McCaffrey's wife says her husband was acting in self defense, but LeMaster's family says those allegations are untrue and is demanding justice.

McCaffrey is currently charged with malicious wounding, but charges could be changed. He is currently in the Western Regional Jail on a $50,000 bond.

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Family members say Howard LeMaster, the man injured in a beating on Monday remains in critical condition in a Huntington area hospital. Ashley Facundo, LeMaster's daughter, said her father is in a coma.

Amanda McCaffrey, the wife of Shane McCaffrey, beating suspect, is speaking out and said Wednesday her husband was acting in self defense. She said LeMaster charged at him with a hammer to break up a fight.

McCaffrey said LeMaster was a friend of the family and is remorseful.

"We hope nothing more than Howard to be ok," McCaffrey said.

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A late night fight in Huntington left one man in the hospital and another in jail.

Shane Ray McCaffrey, 25, of Huntington is charged with malicious wounding after he allegedly hit Howard LeMaster, 49, of Huntington in the head with a cinder block when he tried to break up a fight, city police said.

Huntington police say it happened about 11 p.m. Monday in the 200 block of Adams Avenue. No word yet on LeMaster's condition.

McCaffrey remains in the Western Regional Jail, as for Howard LeMaster, he is out of surgery and in a coma. Family members tell Eyewitness News his prognosis is not good.

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