By Matt Busse
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: May 6, 2008

A Bedford County grand jury indicted a Moneta man on charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in a felony in the death of his wife.

Wesley Brian Earnest, 37, is charged in the Dec. 19, 2007 death of Jocelyn Branham Earnest, found in her home with a gunshot wound to the head.

The indictments were consistent with the charges prosecutors had previously said they would seek against Earnest.

His trial is set for July 29th.

Bedford Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance and Earnest’s attorney, Joseph Sanzone, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Prosecutors have said Wesley Earnest murdered his wife after a protracted divorce and financial struggles. They cite his fingerprints on a purported suicide note as a key piece of evidence.

Earnest’s attorneys say he was in eastern Virginia when his wife died, and say prosecutors’ evidence is circumstantial.

Earnest was previoulsy an assistant principal at Heritage High School, and most recently at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake.