UPDATE: Charge for suspect in Big Stone Gap abduction and murder upgraded to capital murder

A Wise County, Virginia man accused of killing his grandmother last summer has had one charge upgraded.

Circuit Court information says a grand jury indicted Joshua Smith, 32, on one count of capital murder. He is also facing charges of strangulation, trespassing, abduction, and disposal of a dead body on private property.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Chuck Slemp told us the jury upgraded the charge because the murder took place during the abduction.

Smith was also indicted on credit card fraud after investigators said Smith injured and killed Charlene Osborne, 72, in August and then used her card to purchase clothes and a cell phone. Osborne was found inside her bloody Big Stone Gap home after Smith told officers she was sick.

Smith is scheduled to appear in court on March 8th.

(IMAGE: ST 929 Archives)