Deputy CR Stephens filed a complaint in the Magistrate Court of Calhoun County on June 30th, 2026 requesting a warrant for the arrest of Caleb Hart who was already committed to the WV Central Regional Jail on other charges. Deputy Stephens stated that on 3/23/26 at approximately 10:39 p.m. he was notified by Calhoun Control of a burglary that had just occurred at 325 South Calhoun Highway.
The victim, Michelle Hipp, advised that she had come home and believed she had scared off the burglar, as she described a vehicle slow rolling down the road and hearing a door shut on the vehicle before it left the area. In searching the scene Deputy Stephens observed the back door of the residence to have been forced open, evidenced by tool marks on the door frame.
Of the items stolen were approximately $10,000 in cash (money Hipp had been saving to replace her roof, a pink flowered jewelry box full of miscellaneous jewelry (ring band with grandkids name, gold necklaces, bracelets), 2 Kate Spade purses, and a denim blue Coach purse. While processing the scene, he located two distinct foot prints in soft dirt near the back door of the residence. The footprints were photographed and later confirmed with the homeowner and the tree cutter who had been working that day, that no one had gone in the rear of the residence that day.
On 4/3/26 a search warrant was executed on the residence of Julie Spry, Caleb Hart’s girlfriend/friend with benefits. Located at her residence was a denim blue Coach purse and a brown Kate Spade bag which were later identified by the victim as property stolen from her residence.
This investigation was a portion of a much larger investigation involving multiple burglaries and grand larcenies involving Hart and Julie Spry. These investigations detail these two individuals together on multiple occasions within Calhoun County at or near the site of these crimes. In a post-Miranda interview conducted by Sr. Trooper Richards, Hart acknowledged he knew the Hipp residence was across from the old State Police barracks. Also in a post-Miranda interview conducted by Trooper Raines, Spry admitted to routinely driving Hart around Calhoun County and dropping him off. Spry stated that Hart had given her the Coach and Kate Spade bags, going into Willie’s Red Barn on multiple occasions, dropping Hart off regularly and picking him up in the area where this burglary occurred. Spry also admitted to driving Hart to numerous pawn shops in Charleston, Marietta, Vienna and Parkersburg. Additionally, Spry stated that Hart had told her recently that he had hit $10,000 on a machine (casino, in Charleston.)
On On 4/6/26 a search warrant was executed on Hart’s truck, which he had been arrested out of for possessing stolen property. During the search warrant Deputy Stephens located boots in the back seat which matched one set of boot prints behind the Hipp residence. Also found during that search warrant execution and two others were a stolen trailer and numerous stolen items from multiple burglaries within Calhoun County.
Warrants were issued for grand larceny, and conspiracy (with Spry and/or unknown second individual – footprint). Hart remains in the Central Regional Jail awaiting his felony preliminary hearing on these charges that is scheduled for July 7th, 2026 at 10 a.m. Harts bond was set at $50,000.
