NEW CUMBERLAND — A case of mistaken identity resulted in a two-hour delay in the case of a Hancock County woman accused of attempted murder.

Roe Degenhardt Baker, of 1313 Arner Road, was a late arrival for her preliminary hearing Thursday, as jail transport reportedly picked up the incorrect female, also with the last name of Baker, from the Northern Regional Jail.

After having to return to Moundsville to get the right defendant, proceedings started around 11:50 a.m. with two prosecutorial witnesses: lead investigative officer Mike Hoder of the West Virginia State Police and Ron Thomas, whom Baker is accused of shooting at.

Hoder’s testimony largely focused on physical evidence retrieved from the scene and witness testimony, as test results were not complete yet.

Thomas’ testimony, though, set the stage of the initial arrangement and activity leading up to the shooting incident at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11.

Thomas testified he met Baker through a Facebook group and agreed to come to Chester to help her with a few small projects, such as lawn work and construction of a knee wall in her basement, without charge for allowing him to camp there for a few days.

However, that quickly became several months as Baker wanted him to do renovations to the basement, making it a small apartment where she could live with her dog while utilizing the upstairs of the home as a rental.

According to Thomas’ account, he agreed to do the renovations, which she never paid him for, instead referring to him as a “volunteer.”

Eventually, days before the incident, it came to a head, he said, as she declined to reimburse him an amount for labor equal to the materials.

There was no firm written contract affirming the arrangement.

Thomas had invested more than $6,000 converting the basement into an apartment, he said.

Thomas testified their previous friendship grew more distant in early September, as he asked for his money and she urged him to move on. Frustrated with her inability to displace him from her property, she eventually reached out to West Virginia police and the court to begin eviction proceedings.

After visiting a neighbor earlier in the afternoon, Thomas testified Baker made her way to her property, where she fired several shots at him through a slightly opened door in an effort to kill him as he sat eating his dinner.

Baker doesn’t dispute firing the shots; however, the intent differs. She claimed in comments that she just wanted to scare him off her property. He, on the other hand, said she told him that she wanted to kill him.

Public defender Nick Yovich didn’t put any witnesses on the stand; however, he disputed both Hoder’s and Thomas’ testimony throughout the hearing, resulting in admonitions from the prosecution and magistrate.

Yovich strongly questioned Thomas’ recollection of a verbal threat uttered by Baker, questioning the lack of independent witness testimony, and his ultimate motive.

Ultimately, the defense attempted to provide probable doubt in the attempted murder charge, although he didn’t attempt to get five wanton endangerment involving a firearm counts thrown out.

Magistrate Matthew Harvey found probable cause and forwarded the case to the Hancock County Circuit Court.

If ultimately convicted of attempted murder, the 71-year-old Baker faces life in prison.

(Ujhelyi can be contacted at sujhelyi@mojonews.com)