A Prince Edward County grand jury recently indicted William C. Duckworth, 27, of Farmville for attempted first-degree murder and other felony charges following an extensive Farmville Police Department (FPD) investigation. According to an FPD press release, the department investigated allegations Duckworth had attacked a female family member.

The investigation began on March 24 when FPD officers responded to the 500 block of Landon Street in reference to an assault. They found the victim suffering from numerous injuries and had her transported by the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad to Centra Southside Community Hospital. Due to her injuries, the victim was then transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond where physicians discovered she was suffering from chemical burns on her face, broken ribs, a fractured vertebrae and bleeding on the brain.

During the FPD’s preliminary investigation, the victim said Duckworth had assaulted her, injected her with insulin and held an ammonia-soaked rag over her face. Based on the victim’s statement and the nature of the observed injuries, the FPD obtained a malicious wounding warrant from a magistrate until detectives had an opportunity to conduct a more thorough interview of the victim and complete a detailed investigation. Officers arrested Duckworth later on the evening of March 24; he has been held at Piedmont Regional Jail since then.

As the investigation continued, detectives executed multiple search warrants, conducted numerous interviews and submitted items of potential evidence to the Department of Forensic Science for laboratory examination. By July, and after consulting with the Prince Edward County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, police had gathered enough evidence to charge Duckworth with attempted murder. After obtaining the final results of the laboratory exams, the evidence was submitted to the grand jury in November, which delivered a true bill on the initial malicious wounding and attempted murder warrants.

The grand jury also found probable cause to direct indict Duckworth with aggravated malicious wounding, abduction, administering or attempting to administer poison and causing bodily injury by a caustic substance.

According to online court records, two hearings are set regarding Duckworth’s charges. The first will be a review of the malicious wounding charge on Jan. 17. A preliminary trial date for the remaining charges is set for Feb. 2.