Sheriff Patrick Ray says dental records have confirmed that the body of a man found last week in the rubble of a burned mobile home near Liberty is that of 63 year old Robert “Bob” Senick, the man who lived at the residence.
Senick’s death is also being called a homicide, according to Sheriff Ray, but no other details have been released as to the cause of the death or how the fire started.
The mobile home, which belonged to Senick, was located in an isolated area about a mile off the Liberty to Dismal Road. The fire, which destroyed the home, apparently occurred either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
According to Sheriff Ray, the mobile home had already burned to the ground by the time it was discovered and reported Wednesday morning at around 9:13 a.m.
Senick’s body was later sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
The investigation is being conducted by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Bomb and Arson, and District Attorney General Randy York and members of his staff.
Sheriff Ray says if you have any information that could help investigators, please call 597-4935.
Meanwhile in other recent crime news from the Sheriff’s Department, 25 year old Shannon Ray Herman of Author Hollis Lane Smithville is charged with driving on a suspended license. He will appear in court on October 21st. Sheriff Ray says that on October 5th, deputies while on patrol on Short Mountain Highway, stopped Herman for a traffic violation. Upon checking Herman’s license, the officer learned that the license was suspended for failure to satisfy a citation in Warren County. Herman was arrested and his bond set at $1,000.
33 year old Gregory Michael Patton of Oak Place Drive, Smithville is charged with two counts of simple possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $3,500 on the drug charges. Patton also has five warrants against him for violation of probation. According to Sheriff Ray, on October 8th a deputy while on patrol on Timber Lane, spotted Patton standing beside of a vehicle. Having prior knowledge that Patton had warrants against him for violation of probation, the officer stopped and placed Patton under arrest. While making the arrest, the officer noticed a small pouch beside of Patton and in the pouch was a pill crusher, a hollowed ink pen barrel containing residue, one and a half Hydrocodone pills. and a half of a Xanax pill.
21 year old Jose B. Soto Jr. of Miller Road Smithville is charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest. Sheriff Ray says that on October 10th, Soto was involved in an accident on Dry Creek Road in Smithville and when officers tried to arrest him, Soto fled on foot. After the officers caught up with him, Soto began to resist but he was cuffed after a deputy sprayed him with mace. Soto had a strong odor of alcohol on his person and slurred speech. He refused to submit to any field sobriety tasks and also refused a blood test. Soto’s bond was set at $4,000 and he was issued a citation for violation of the implied consent law. He will appear in court on October 22nd.
39 year old Danny Lee Smithson of Brook Lane, Smithville is charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution. According to Sheriff Ray, correctional officers at the jail discovered a bulge in the sock of a weekend prisoner on October 10th. When they checked further, the officers found in Smithson’s possession, a black taped wrapper containing seventeen whole pills and two half pills of Soma and six pink Hydrocodone pills. Smithson, who stands six feet tall and weighs three hundred pounds, also had a jacket under his belly containing tobacco, rolling papers, and a lighter. His bond was set at $5,000 and he will appear in court on October 22nd.
22 year old Dallas Edward Hannah of Evins Mill Road Smithville was arrested October 11th for driving on a revoked license after he was spotted driving on Highway 70 East. Hannah ‘s bond was set a $1,500 and he will appear in court on October 22nd.
23 year old Dallas James King and 18 year old Nathan Ray King both of Murray Kittrell Road, Readyville are charged with unlawful possession of a schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana) for resale. Sheriff Ray says that on October 12th, a deputy while on patrol, stopped a vehicle on Highway 70 West. The officer noticed a smell of marijuana in the vehicle. After obtaining consent from the driver to search, the deputy found a Nike shoe box containing 3.65 ounces of a green leafy plant believed to be marijuana. Another bag containing marijuana was also found in the back seat of the vehicle. Bond for both men is set at $3,500 each and they will appear in court on October 22nd.
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