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Fugitive, cousin arrested in Mont.; McCoy's whereabouts still unknown

By Rose Hooper
McCoy

McCoy

Following leads that a fugitive and his cousin were headed from the Smokies to the Rockies, police arrested Martin Willard Pepion, 25, and Robert Kristen Groenwold, 20, both of Cherokee, Tuesday night at Pepion's father's home on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Mont.

The arrest occurred on the same day Pepion failed to appear in Jackson County District Court on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and first-degree kidnapping. As a result, he is now additionally charged with failure to appear, and Judge Steve Bryant ordered him arrested and held without bond.

Additionally, both Pepion and Groenwold are wanted for questioning in the disappearnce of 22-year-old Deanah McCoy of Cherokee.

SBI Special Agent Charles Moody said Pepion and Groenwold were to make court appearances in Montana Wednesday morning concerning extradition.

Pepion

Pepion

"Once we find out whether they are willing to return to North Carolina or whether they plan to fight extradition, we'll know how to proceed," Moody said. "Certainly we want to talk with them; we just have to work our way through the court system. Meanwhile, we're continuing our investigation on their capture in Montana and of the disappearance of Deanah McCoy."

Pepion's arrest, and that of Groenwold, was without incident, according to Montana law enforcement. The two are being held at the Blackfeet Detention Center.

The assault and kidnapping charges resulted when Pepion allegedly placed the blade of a 4-inch pocket knife to the throat of McCoy, his ex-girlfriend, court records indicate. The incident occurred Oct. 13, 2000, on N.C. 116 and resulted in a four-car accident. After a December hearing on those charges, Pepion was released on bonds totaling $26,500 and ordered to only contact McCoy with regards to visiting his children. Family members say McCoy has a restraining order against Pepion.

McCoy was still missing as of press time Wednesday and her family fears the worst. Friends last saw McCoy at Thunder Ridge night club in Maggie Valley on Feb. 1 in the company of Pepion and Groenwold. Additional reports place McCoy in the vicinity of Beaverdam Baptist Church and Rough Creek Road in Haywood County at 2:53 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2.

Her 1997 black Chevrolet pickup truck with extended cab was found burned on Maquire Road off Highway 280 in Transylvania County at 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 2, just 3 1/2 hours after she was last seen in the Beaverdam area of Haywood County.

The fire, which completely destroyed the truck, was no accident, according to officers with the Transylvania County Sheriff's Department, who issued warrants Monday charging Pepion and Groenwold with burning personal property.

Pepion, a Cherokee Tribal employee, was on the job early Friday, Feb. 2, when law enforcement officials questioned him about McCoy's disappearance.

McCoy's disappearance is being treated as a missing person's case, according to Cherokee Police officers. A student at Southwestern Community College, she is described as Native American with shoulder length wavy dark hair with reddish highlights, 5-foot, 5-inches tall, and weighing 160 pounds. She has brown eyes but wears blue contacts.

She was last seen wearing a medium, blue, short-sleeve T-shirt with white writing on the left side, light-colored blue jeans, blue/white/silver Nike tennis shoes with black soles and a Carolina blue jacket.

McCoy's grandmothers are taking care of McCoy's and Pepion's children, Tyler Pepion, 6, and Tianna McCoy, 2. Anyone with information in this case is asked to call the Cherokee Police Department at 497-4131 or the Jackson County Sheriff's Department at 586-8901.

Back to Archive: 02/08/01.