The new term of the DeKalb County Grand Jury convened Monday and returned indictments against 39 people including 11 named in sealed indictments.
Defendants will be arraigned in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Tuesday, December 12.
Those indicted and their charges are as follows:
Anthony Steven Alley: evading arrest
Jammie Renee Ashford: possession with intent to sell and deliver over 0.5 grams of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia
Andrew Lafate Billings: attempted first degree murder, initiation of a process intended to result in the manufacture of methamphetamine, and aggravated child abuse
Riley Anthony Bullard: simple possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana)
Thomas Patrick Courtney: driving under the influence and unlawful possession of a weapon
Christopher Keith Lane Derrick: driving under the influence, vehicular assault, evading arrest, and violation of the implied consent law
Jessica Denise Dyal: aggravated burglary and theft under $1,000 (2 counts)
Jeffery Allen Flatt: driving under the influence and reckless endangerment
Sonni M. Fullilove: simple possession of schedule VI drug (marijuana)
Mark Alan Goodson: possession with intent to sell and deliver over 0.5 grams of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of the seat belt law, violation of the registration law, and violation of financial responsibility
David Matthew Hill: aggravated burglary (2 counts), theft under $1,000, burglary, and vandalism under $1,000
Laddie Bill Jerrells: desecration of a place of worship (8 counts), resisting arrest, and false report
William Travis Malone: simple possession of a schedule II drug (morphine) and simple possession of a schedule II drug (oxycodone)
James Howard Markham: driving under the influence (4th offense) and violation of the habitual traffic offender order
Phillip Andrew Martin: driving on a revoked license (2nd offense)
John Thomas Mason: driving on a revoked license (2nd offense) and evading
Amber Lynn Matchett: simple possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana) and failure to stay in lane of traffic
Christopher Alan Medlin: forgery (8 counts)
Terry Wayne Owens: driving under the influence, vehicular assault (2 counts), violation of the implied consent law, failure to exercise due care, violation of the financial responsibility law, and failure to yield right of way.
Winston Alexander Puckett: sexual exploitation of a minor and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor
Christopher Anthony Shelton: driving on a suspended license (8th offense)
Brandon Lee Starnes: possession with intent to sell and deliver over 0.5 grams of methamphetamine
Brian Franklin Strahan: domestic assault
Melody Ann Thomas: driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane of traffic
Richard Allen Tilly: driving under the influence
Jason Andrew Whitherspoon: worthless check over $2,500
Roy Junior Wilkey: sexual exploitation of a minor
Johnny Reb Williams: aggravated assault
Names of those charged in sealed indictments cannot be disclosed until they are served.

A motorist stopped by Smithville Police for a seatbelt violation last week was found to be a convicted felon in possession of methamphetamine and a weapon.
30 year old Johnathan Kyle Turner was arrested on Monday, November 20 for possession of a handgun by a felon and he was cited for simple possession, driving on a revoked license, and for no seatbelt.
An officer pulled over Turner due to a seatbelt violation and asked him if he had anything illegal in the vehicle. He handed over a clear bagging containing approximately 1 gram of a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine. Upon further investigation, the officer found a semi-automatic handgun on the passenger side floorboard. A computer check through Central Dispatch revealed that Turner had a felony conviction on October 22, 2012 for promotion of methamphetamine. Turner was taken into custody without incident. His bond is $5,000 and his court date is December 14.
37 year old Crystal Lachelle Thompson was arrested for theft on Saturday, November 4 after being observed by Wal-Mart Loss Prevention employees putting merchandise into her purse, pants and jacket. Thompson was stopped and confronted about the theft as she was exiting the store. Approximately $160 in merchandise was recovered from Thompson and returned to the store. Thompson’s bond is $2,000 and her court date is November 30.
27 year old Robert Jacob Hardison was cited on Tuesday, November 7 for having drug paraphernalia and for unlawful possession of a weapon. Police were called to Wal-Mart after an employee found a glass pipe with residue inside a toolbox that a customer was trying to return. Police confronted the customer, Hardison, who said that he forgot about putting the pipe there which he uses to smoke cocaine. Hardison also informed the officer that he had in his possession a 9 millimeter SAR handgun, for which he has no valid gun permit. The gun, which was in Hardison’s waistband, was retrieved by the officer.
29 year old Shannon Gray Gassaway was cited on Tuesday, November 7 for shoplifting. Police responded to the Dollar General Store for a possible shoplifter. Upon arrival, the officer was informed that an employee spotted Gassaway putting items in a diaper bag with the intent to deprive the store of its property. The officer recovered the merchandise and returned it to the store.
24 year old Lee Allen Ferrell was arrested on Saturday, November 11 for criminal trespassing at a residence on Walker Drive where he had earlier been told he was not welcome. When Ferrell returned police were notified but he had left again before the officer arrived. Ferrell was later found walking down the road. He was taken into custody due to the reasonable likelihood that this offense would continue to occur. Ferrell’s bond is $2,500 and his court date is December 7.
Police arrested Ferrell again on Tuesday, November 21 for vandalism after the victim reported on Monday, November 20 that her vehicle had been vandalized by someone who cut all the tires and keyed both sides of her car. She named Ferrell as a suspect due to the fact that she had him arrested on November 11 for criminal trespassing on her property. Police spoke with Ferrell and during an investigation found a knife belonging to him that bore residue of white paint and black tar consistent with that of a tire and the white paint on the victim’s car. Ferrell’s bond is $5,000 and his court date is December 14.
31 year old Brandy Nichole Hale was arrested on Sunday, November 12 for domestic assault. According to police, Hale and the victim became involved in a verbal argument that turned physical when she pushed and hit him leaving a red mark on the left side of his face. The victim then shut the garage door, trying to keep Hale out of the house and away from him but in doing so Hale’s finger was injured on the door. Hale was determined to have been the primary aggressor and she was taken into custody without incident. Her bond is $2,500 and her court date is November 30.
32 year old Jason Lee Whitefield was arrested on Sunday, November 12 for DUI and cited for violation of implied consent after being found unconscious behind the steering wheel of his vehicle at 576 West Broad Street with the engine running. Whitefield submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks but he refused to take a blood/alcohol test. Police subsequently obtained a search warrant for a blood withdrawal. Whitefield’s bond is $3,500 and his court date is November 30.
41 year old Jason Allen Bates was arrested on Friday, November 17 for domestic assault after police responded to a domestic call and learned that Bates and the victim had gotten into a physical fight earlier and that the victim’s hand had gotten cut during the altercation. Bond for Bates is $3,000 and his court date is November 30.
31 year old Adam Daniel Taylor was cited on Saturday, November 18 for shoplifting at Tractor Supply Company after he took items with the intent to deprive the store of its merchandise. His court date is November 30.

Domestic violence is a crime that hits home physically for a lot of families, but the abuse isn’t limited to punching, slapping, or kicking. It can be mental, emotional, sexual, and even financial. In 2016 alone there were over 70-thousand domestic calls reported to the police in Tennessee.
In DeKalb County the Haven of Hope now offers a domestic abuse support group. To lead the group, Haven Clinical Director Kay Quintero turned to one of their clients who survived her traumatic situation. We’ll call her “Sally” to protect her identity.
“There have been women [attend group] who have been in abusive relationships for 27 years, and the only reason they got out of it was because their partner died. There’s been physical abuse and a lot of sexual abuse. The thread that we all find is that we’ve been manipulated mentally.”
Sally, who escaped to DeKalb County from a state north of Tennessee, suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome).
“One of the therapists saved my sanity [by treating] my diagnosis of PTSD” Sally said. “I’d go out and see a Ford F-150 that looked like my ex’s, and I’d start a full-blown panic attack at the grocery store.”
A few months of therapy, and her life has been turned around. Still, the hellish situation she endured for 13 years remains firmly in her memory. Sally was married to the man she thought was her soul mate. They were well-to-do successful members of the community, but when the couple had their son, Sally says they drifted apart and he started having affairs, so she filed for divorce in 2008.
“Once I filed for divorce is when the abuse was ramped up. He was at the very minimum narcissistic, probably psychopath, what we call Cluster B disorders.”
“The biggest red flag I missed was the complete lack of empathy that he had.”
Though she never sported a black eye or any other wound from domestic assault, she lived in another form of abuse. A stay-at-home mom, Sally had no money and couldn’t afford to leave the house when the bitter legal action began.
“He told me he wasn’t going to give me any of the money and that he was going to file for sole custody so he wouldn’t have to pay child support. He let the accounts go dry. I didn’t have money for groceries. I had to put my lawyer on a credit card. He would come home ranting and raving, trying to get me to settle, trying to make my life difficult.”
“The judge would not remove him from the house. I had to put a restraining order on him in my own home. He could not come into the master bedroom. I pretty much lived in my room for about a year.”
Although Sally wanted to leave her situation, she didn’t have the money to get out.
“I was beside myself mentally,” she explains. “There was no way I could have worked. The city we lived in the nearest one bedroom apartment cost $1,100 a month. I was stuck.”
She says fear is a powerful motivator that prevents victims from leaving the abuse.
“The abusers prey on that. There was another woman in my little town who was going through the same thing. The day she filed to have him evicted from the house she went missing, and he was named as a person of interest. She was never found. I woke up one morning in my home, and I heard a noise outside, and they were dragging the retention pond by my house, looking for her body, which they never found. That hit home for me.”
Frightened, she sent out a secretive email.
“When you have to write an email to all your family and friends and say, ‘I’d never kill myself, and I’d never leave my child. If anything happens to me, he did something. That was probably one of the hardest things I ever did.”
Sally now says she didn’t realize she was the victim of abuse until she removed herself from the situation. Today she is encouraging other women who are dealing with domestic abuse to reach out to the Haven of Hope for help.
The group meets at the Haven of Hope. Call 597-HOPE to find out the days and times for meetings.

Santa Claus is coming to town!
The first of three Christmas parades in DeKalb County this holiday season will be Saturday, December 2 when the Smithville Christmas Parade sponsored by the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department takes place starting at 1:00 p.m. The line up begins at 11:00 a.m. at Smithville Elementary School. To enter call Jeff Wright at 615-597-6750 or John Poss at 931-349-5598.
The Liberty Christmas Parade will be Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m. The line-up will be at 1 PM at Salem Baptist Church. Call 615-464-8085 for more information.
The Alexandria Christmas Parade will be Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 p.m. Line-up begins at 1 p.m. on West Main Street. To enter stop by or call the Alexandria City Hall at 615-529-2171 extension 2

Two people were involved in a rollover accident Saturday at the intersection on East Main Street and North Congress Boulevard.
According to Smithville Police Officer Will Judkins, 37 year old Bobby Cross of Smithville was traveling north on Congress Boulevard in a 2014 Ford Escape as 66 year old Jeffrey Wood of Smithville was heading east on Main Street. The vehicles collided in the intersection at the traffic light. The impact caused the truck to rollover up on the driver side where it came to rest.
Members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department and Extrication Team were summoned to help get Wood out of his truck. Neither he nor Cross were seriously injured and they refused transport by DeKalb EMS to the hospital.
Cross was cited for driving without a license and violation of the financial responsibility law (no insurance).

Another jail escapee is back in custody thanks to an alert Alexandria Police Officer and a few citizen bystanders.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 11/20/2017 Thru: 11/27/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_49.pdf (3.3 MB)
32 year old Bryon Ray Gibbs of 200 Gin Alley, Alexandria was taken into custody Saturday afternoon by Alexandria Police Officer Josh Arnold but the arrest didn’t come easy. After being confronted, Gibbs resisted and began fighting with Arnold. Citizens who witnessed the scene came to the aid of the officer to help subdue Gibbs. Deputies and detectives of the Sheriff’s Department also responded to provide assistance.
The incident occurred at around 12:55 p.m. Saturday, according to Alexandria Police Chief Chris Russell.
“Alexandria Police Officer Josh Arnold was patrolling on Edgewood Street when he observed a male subject run into the middle of the street. Officer Arnold recognized the male as Bryon Ray Gibbs , a recent escapee from the DeKalb County Jail. Officer Arnold got out of his patrol vehicle and ordered Gibbs to the ground. While attempting to place handcuffs on Gibbs he disobeyed the officers commands and began to resist arrest . Gibbs continued to resist arrest by fighting with Officer Arnold . Several citizens observed the incident and offered assistance. With the help of the bystanders , Gibbs was handcuffed and placed into custody. DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputies and detectives responded to provide assistance,” said Chief Russell.
Gibbs was charged by Alexandria Police with resisting arrest and aggravated assault.
“I would like to thank the citizens who assisted by placing themselves in danger to help in the apprehension of Gibbs,” said Chief Russell.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, detectives and officers with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and officers with the Alexandria Police Department had been working throughout the previous night planning Gibbs’ apprehension after receiving information that he was in the Alexandria area.
Sheriff Ray said he wishes to thank Alexandria Police Chief Russell and Officer Arnold for all of their assistance.
Gibbs is back in the DeKalb County Jail and has been charged by the Sheriff’s Department with escape.
Gibbs is one of three inmates who broke out of the jail annex Tuesday night. He, 38 year old Jack Mullican, Jr., and 26 year old Daniel Trey Hamilton, escaped from the back of the jail annex through a door they jimmied open.
Mullican was captured Wednesday morning after being found in an underground water drain near Mapco Express. He became trapped there after making his escape.
Hamilton remains at large.
Please contact Central Dispatch at 615-215-3000 or the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department 615-597-4935 if you have any information on Hamilton’s whereabouts.

Another woman has been charged with aiding one of the jail escapees.
28 year old Alesha Rushell Scott of Gin Alley, Alexandria was arrested on Friday, November 24 at her home in Alexandria and charged with “permitting or facilitating an escape”. Scott’s bond is $20,000 and her court date is December 7.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said her charges stem from an investigation into the escape of Bryon Ray Gibbs.
Three other women were arrested last week in separate incidents of aiding jail escapees Bryon Gibbs and Daniel Hamilton who broke out of the DeKalb County Jail Annex Tuesday night along with Jack Mullican, Jr.
40 year old Margaret Ann Taylor of Store Road, Rock Island; 40 year old Miranda Nicole Johnson of Joe Blanton Road, Woodbury; and 29 year old Jessica Anne Jenkins of Bright Hill Road, Smithville are each charged in separate cases of “permitting or facilitating an escape”.
Although accused of the same offense, Sheriff Ray said these women are charged individually for separate contacts with both escapees. Bond for both Johnson and Jenkins is $10,000 each. Taylor’s bond is $5,000. All will make a court appearance on December 7.
Sheriff Ray said as the investigation continues more arrests are expected.

The 22nd Annual DeKalb County Angel Tree Project is currently underway. The Angel Tree provides Christmas gifts for underserved and needy children in DeKalb County. You can pick up your Angel at any local bank in Smithville or Alexandria. There are 368 children representing 175 local families. The adoption tags have suggested wish items but it is not necessary to purchase everything listed. Donations can also be made at any bank branch if you would prefer to have someone do the shopping for you. It is always our goal to have each child adopted but for those who are not, we will do the shopping for them. The deadline to return your gifts is Friday, December 8th, The continued support of the community is what makes this such a successful program.

Former DeKalb County High School pitching standout Steven Jennings will soon see his face on a Major League Baseball card.
The Bowman Company has released the checklist for its popular Bowman Draft produce and Jennings will appear on an insert card called “Recommended Viewing,” a two-player card that pairs up prospects from the same franchise.
Drafted this summer in the 2nd round by the Pittsburg Pirates, Jennings will appear along with the player the team drafted in the first round, Shane Baz. The card will have 4 parallel versions-refractors, gold refractors numbered to 50 copies, red refractors numbered to only 5 copies and a superfractor which is a one-of-a-kind card.
The product is expected to be released December 6th.
Meanwhile, Panini Elite Extra Edition, another prospect-filled baseball card set, is scheduled to hit hobby shops at the same time and there is speculation Jennings will also appear in that product, possibly even with an autograph card, although Panini has yet to release the checklist.
After being drafted, Jennings was assigned to the Pirates Gulf Coast League affiliate. According to rumbunter.com, a Pirate internet fan site, Jennings made 10 starts and compiled 26.1 innings. He had an earned run average (ERA) of 4.10 while striking out 13 batters and walking 10. While his strikeouts per nine innings rate was low at 4.44, he had an impressive groundball rate of 55.6 percent. Opponents batted only .281 off him which gave him a WHIP average of 1.56.
The website said “Jennings will most likely play in Short-Season A ball next season. He will likely make about 10 starts in Bristol and the Pirates will likely try to keep his innings limited in his second professional season.”
The website also said “The expectations are very high for him going forward. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the Pirates number 10 overall prospect.”

Cash Express will be hosting its annual “Fill the Police Car” event on Black Friday, November 24th at their business location 126 E. Bryant Street. A Bake sale is also being held. The Smithville Police Department is partnering with Cash Express in this event and providing the vehicle to fill up with non-perishable food items, toys, and coats. Please stop by with your gift of love and grab a bite to eat as there will be food available.
“Friday we are doing a fill a police car for our annual toy and coat drive for DeKalb County and everything will stay in DeKalb County. Its from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. We will take new or used toys, coats, clothes, and non-perishable foods. We’ll also be serving hot dogs and chips that day,” said Athena Knauer.
“We have over 100 drop box locations in DeKalb County including Liberty and Alexandria but you can also drop off your donations at our location on East Bryant Street. Our hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.,” said Knauer.
“All the toys will be distributed to needy families by the Smithville Police Department. The Clothes Closet will also get some (toys) and of course the coats and clothes go to them as well. All of our non-perishable foods will go to “Gods Food Pantry” in DeKalb County for families who need help with food. We will get with the schools and the class with the most donations from each school will get a pizza party. We also get with the schools to see if there are any kids that need a winter coat and if so we’ll distribute the coats after we wash them,” Knauer continued.
For questions concerning this event, you may contact Jamie Dawson or Athena Knauer at Cash Express, 615-597-3427.