KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – A man will spend the next four decades behind bars for the death of a Kanawha County woman.
According to the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Samuel May, 44, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, the maximum sentence for the charge.
In June 2023, May pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Cynthia Mudd, 71, of Cross Lanes. Her body was found in a freezer in August 2022. While he pleaded guilty, May could not provide more details because he “blacked out,” according to court records.
May was indicted on first-degree murder, concealment of a deceased human body, fraud and related activity in connection with an access device. He pleaded not guilty to these charges in December 2022.
Since May pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges, his other charges were dismissed.
Arnold Hiller pleaded guilty to concealment of a dead body in connection to this case in January 2023. May told deputies that Hiller assisted him in concealing Mudd’s body. May also told deputies that Mudd’s body had been in the freezer for about 30 days. Hiller was charged with fraud after allegedly withdrawing $1,100 from Mudd’s bank account after she died.
