15 year sentence imposed in Motel killing

By JIM TALBERT\Staff
TAZEWELL – Exactly 13 months from the date the incident happened, a Pounding Mill man was sentenced Sept. 3 for the death of another man at the Hilltop Motel.
Thomas Milgrim, 48, will serve 15 years for voluntary manslaughter, grand larceny of an automobile and four counts of credit card theft. Milgrim was charged in the death of John Wargo, 69, of War WV.
Wargo’s body was found by a maid at the motel on Aug.3 of 2009. Milgrim was arrested in St. Paul on a driving under the influence charge and was driving Wargo’s car.
He originally told Investigator John. Santolla of the Virginia State Police he found the car in the K-Mart parking lot with the keys in it. He later changed his story to say that he met Wargo at the parking lot and they went to the liquor store and then to the motel.
He said they were engaging in consensual sex when he accidentally strangled Wargo. Milgrim said he had known Wargo for about 10 days and got his name from the wall of a bathroom stall at the Cedar Bluff Overlook.
In addition to leaving the scene in Wargo’s car, Milgrim took his credit cards, money and jewelry. Commonwealth’s attorney Dennis Lee presented evidence that Milgrim was a career criminal who had 35 offenses ranging from vandalism as a juvenile to indecent liberties with his 12 year old daughter. Lee said Milgrim’s crimes covered multiple states and he also had numerous probation violations.
Milgrim was on probation out of Russell County when the crimes occurred. Wargo was a retired school principal and an active member of his church. Tom Hatcher, the Mayor of war testified that Wargo was active in community affairs and was well thought of by everyone who knew him.
Several of Wargo’s nieces and nephews read statements from his sisters who were unable to attend the hearing. He was the 12th of 13 children and his sisters and brothers live in various parts of the country.
Family members told the court his death was a great loss and had left a void in the family. They asked Chaffin to impose the maximum sentence.
Wargo’s nephew, Bernie Spencer told the court that he was called around 2:30 that day and told that Wargo had not returned home from a trip to Tazewell. He said several people drove the road between War and Amonate looking for Wargo and the War and Berwind fire departments were called out to assist with the search.
Spencer said he was on his way to enlist the aid of the Bandy Fire Department when he was called to the Hilltop to identify the body. Spencer asked Chaffin to impose the maximum sentence on Milgrim.
The defense did not offer any evidence but Milgrim addressed the court prior to sentencing and stated he “did not mean to kill John.’ Chaffin imposed 10 years for the manslaughter and 20 for the theft of the car.
She suspended 15 years on the grand larceny charge. She gave Milgrim 20 years on each of the credit card charges with suspended sentences on each count.

.