The rest of the story so far

Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew held a press conference on Monday, June 25 to share more details about the attempted home invasion/shooting that happened in the center of the county last Friday.

A press release distributed several hours after the incident r contained the bare bones of the story. A man from New Zealand named Troy George Skinner attempted to gain entry to a home in the Holland Hills subdivision. After breaking a glass door, the lady of the house shot at him twice, catching him once in the neck. Skinner ran to a neighboring home, where he collapsed in the front yard. First aid was rendered as he was taken into custody by Goochland Deputies. He was transported via MedFlight to MCV hospital.

Over the weekend, Agnew and his investigators conducted interviews and began to assemble pieces of this bizarre puzzle. Agnew has asked the FBI for assistance in the case and expected to meet with the FBI later on Monday afternoon.

Agnew said that on Friday afternoon, June 22, the mother and her 14 year-old-daughter were painting in the basement of the home in Holland Hills, an enclave of spacious homes on large lots, when she heard the front doorbell ring. As she was not expecting anyone, she ignored it. A few minutes later, a man appeared at the basement door pounding on it saying that he had hitchhiked 30 miles and demanding entry.

 The mother and daughter ran upstairs and locked the door to the basement. The mother called her husband who told her to call 911 and get their gun.  Her 18 year- old daughter, who was upstairs, brought the weapon, a P22 Walther pistol, to her mother who loaded it.  By then, Skinner, who according to Agnew is 6’1” and weighs 275 pounds, was beating on the door to the deck with a  landscape stone. The mother told Skinner three times that she had called the police and had a gun. That did not deter him. He smashed the door with the stone and reached in to unlatch it. The mother shot twice, one bullet caught Skinner in the neck, the other went into the door jam.

Skinner used a landscape stone to smash the glass in this door.

Skinner  remains at MCV. He refuses to talk to law enforcement. His condition has improved and Agnew said he expects that Skinner will soon be charged with entering a dwelling with intent to commit murder, rape, robbery, or arson and transported to the Henrico jail, west. Skinner was in possession of a large knife, which could be considered a deadly weapon, at the time of entry, making the crime  a class 2 felony, which could result  in life imprisonment if convicted. Agnew did not rule out the possibility that federal charges could also be find against Skinner.

According to Agnew, Skinner is believed to have encountered the 14 year-old on an online gaming site called Discord (discordapp.com). She told him she was no longer interested in continuing the interaction earlier in the year.

Agnew contended that Skinner planned his actions well in advance. The 25 year-old man traveled from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia, to Los Angeles, arriving in Washington, D. C. at 9:40 p.m. on June 20. Skinner took a Greyhound bus to Richmond and spent one night at Hosteling International USA there, checking out at 8:46 a.m. on June 22. He purchased a knife and duct tape at the Short Pump Walmart at 12:45 p.m.He also had pepper spray in his possession. Agnew said they have no information about how Skinner made his way from Short Pump to Goochland.

A Goochland investigator displays the knife that Skinner bought at Walmart while Sheriff Agnew looks on.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on June 22, a Holland Hills resident noticed a male wearing black clothes and a hoodie, even though it was a hot day, crossing the road along Bulldog Way and Steeplechase Parkway. (This information was relayed to the Sheriff’s Office several hours after the incident occurred.)

WTVR Channel reporter Melissa Hipilot told the Sheriff that she had been in contact with someone in New Zealand who claimed that Skinner was taking some sort of mental health medication. Agnew said has no knowledge of that. He also said that he had no idea if Skinner has a criminal history, and hopes the FBI can facilitate the international implications of the case, and supply more information about Skinner.

A  bag carried by Skinner contained his New Zealand driver’s license, and an indication that he planned to return there on June 30.  A phone and tablet computer have been taken into evidence and have not yet been analyzed. Law enforcement does not yet know how Skinner obtained the Goochland address.

Agnew said that the family was badly shaken by the incident, are nice people, and the victim in this crime.

He cautioned parents to be aware of their children’s online habits and do not assume that people they meet in cyberspace may not be good people or who they claim to be.

The Sheriff said he will share information on the case as it becomes available.