Rivers Arrested for Attempted Murder of his Son

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

SITKA —A Sitka man was arrested on Dec. 1, after he shot his son.

Timothy L. Rivers, 61, was charged with attempted murder; first-degree wanton endangerment; cultivating in marijuana, five plants or more; contempt of court libel/slander resistance to order and he was served with a bench warrant out of Morgan County for non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines where he was found guilty of speeding 22 mph over the limit and drug paraphernalia-buy/possess on March 15, 2022.

According to the arrest citation, officers were dispatched to the residence in reference to a male subject who had been shot by his father.

When the officers arrived, they made their way around the back side of the residence where they located an open door, the report said.

Johnson County Dispatched advised the officers that the male that sustained the gunshot wound had already left and was being transported to Paintsville ARH by a family member.

Officer Owens said in the report that he made his way around the back yard where he located Rivers through a window at the rear right side of the residence, and Deputy Jeff Castle made his way to Owen’s location and gave verbal commands to Rivers to keep his hands visible at all times.

Owens and Castle made entry into the residence through the back door and placed Rivers in custody.

Rivers was sitting in a chair smoking a marijuana pipe with a Winchester .30-.30 lying in front of him, the report said.

While officers where clearing the rest of the residence, they located a room at the front of the residence with several marijuana plants, the report said and after the residence had been cleared Owens read Rivers his rights and conducted a recorded interview with him.

“Rivers stated that his son, Josh Rivers had come into the back room where Tim Rivers was sitting and began ‘yelling and bitchin.’ Tim Rivers stated that he told Josh to hush or he would hurt him,” the report said. “Tim then stated that Josh continued so he ‘shot the hell out of him.’”

Rivers was taken into custody and transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Johnson County.