Jun 27, 2013 3 min read

Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A West Virginia man accused of torturing his wife for years has been indicted on three counts each of malicious wounding and domestic battery, a defense attorney said Thursday.

A Jackson County grand jury handed up the indictment Wednesday. Defense attorney Michael Hissam said he expects a summons will be issued for his client, Peter Lizon, to appear in circuit court for arraignment at a later date.

“We intend to go to trial,” Hissam said.

Lizon’s wife Stephanie, looking gaunt and limping, fled from her husband while they were at a Parkersburg equipment rental company in July 2012. An employee at the shop gave the woman a number for a domestic violence shelter and cash for a cab ride there.

A domestic violence shelter worker later said Stephanie Lizon told of being held captive for the better part of a decade – allegedly beaten, burned and even shackled during childbirth, according to a criminal complaint filed earlier.

Stephanie Lizon later testified in court that her husband never beat her. She also said the allegations were false, sensational stories told by people who don’t know her or her husband.

Hissam said that while he hadn’t read the indictment, “I don’t think there’s any surprises there.”

He said the charges contain nothing concerning allegations of torture or “anything that made this case sort of a headline grabber.”

Instead, “we’re talking about three discreet alleged injuries,” Hissam said. “It’s going to be a question of Peter and Stephanie have one explanation of what goes on and the government has one.”

Jackson County Prosecutor Kenny Skeen didn’t immediately return a telephone message Thursday.

Stephanie Lizon said last week that the state began efforts to seize the couple’s young son soon after her court testimony. Instead, the Lizons agreed to give permanent custody to Stephanie’s parents.

In April, Stephanie Lizon was arrested and charged with felony child concealment after police said she took her son without permission. She was jailed for a month but freed when nobody showed up in court to testify against her.

While she was in jail, people she and her husband had entrusted to feed her dogs and goats allegedly stole items from her home and then burned down the house on May 2. Three people have been charged with arson.

As a condition of his bond, Peter Lizon is not allowed to have contact with his wife, who now is eight months pregnant. Hissam said Lizon remains on his property, living in a garage-type building across the street from the burned-down house.

Hissam said he believes prosecutors lack enough evidence to convict.

“Normally, the typical case where you’re talking about a wife’s testimony is that there has been a statement to police, a 911 call,” Hissam said. “We don’t have any of that here. There has never been a situation where Stephanie Lizon told any law enforcement official, none of the authorities, that anything happened that Peter’s accused of. In fact she said the exact opposite.”