A Bedford County grand jury indicted a Stewartsville woman on a charge of first-degree murder and a Thaxton man on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in unrelated cases Friday.

Tammy Dell Spencer, 49, is charged with first-degree murder and using a firearm in a felony in the Jan. 7 shooting death of 47-year-old Charles Edwin Pagans, her boyfriend. According to police, Spencer called 911 that evening. Investigators arrived at the house where the couple lived to find Pagans lying dead on the sofa.

Her trial is scheduled for May 26.

Matthew Ivan Sayers, 29, faces counts of involuntary manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence in the Aug. 22 death of 44-year-old Hilton Reaves Holdren of Roanoke.

According to state police, the fatal wreck happened about 8:30 p.m. on eastbound U.S. 460 near Blue Ridge. Holdren was driving his motorcycle in the right lane when a pickup truck struck him from behind. He was pronounced dead an hour later at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Sayers, the driver of the pickup, left the scene but was arrested later that night, police said. His trial is scheduled for Aug. 25.

-- Mike Allen

Bath County

Homestead resort adds $20,000 to reward

The reward for information leading to the arrest of Beacher Hackney is now $25,000.

The Homestead is contributing $20,000 to the $5,000 reward that the U.S. Marshals Service is offering, hotel spokeswoman Carol Stratford said Monday.

Hackney, 59, is wanted in the March 21 shooting deaths of Ronnie Stinnett and Dwight Kerr. They were Hackney's supervisors in the kitchen at the Bath County resort.

Authorities said Hackney fled on foot after the shootings, and they have been searching for him since.

Anyone with information about Hackney's whereabouts should call the Bath County Sheriff's Office at 839-5300.

-- Amanda Codispoti