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According to investigators, Don Reynolds was found dead around 2:30 p.m., Monday, July 21, 2008, in the 1300 block of Dunleith Drive at the Belle Harbor Apartments on Mud Island.
Detectives say Reynolds’ daughter, Davy Lee Spotts was taken into custody at the scene.
Police have not release a motive for the homicide.
Major Joe Scott with the Memphis Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau said, “This is the 22nd domestic-related homicide in 2008. This equals the number of domestic-related homicides the entire calendar year for 2007.”
“Domestic-related homicides make up 27% of all criminal homicides this year,” added Scott.
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SHELBY COUNT, TN – Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies say 5 teens, ages 13 to 16, have been arrested in a burglary ring.
According to a Shelby County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Deputies arrested a 16 year-boy for burglarizing a house in the 4600 block of Royal View on July 18, 2008. Detectives say the teen took an Xbox 360, satellite TV receiver, DVD player and other electronic items.
Detectives say during the investigation, they were able to link three other 13 year-old boys and a 14 year-old girl to the burglary ring. The burglaries happened in the teens’ neighborhood, according to detectives. Investigators say the teens also vandalized mailboxes and broke into vehicles in the Northwood Hills area, near Austin Peay and Covington Pike.
Deputies say the kids can be linked to at least 10 incidents in the last two months. The children took cash, laptop computers, bicycles, cloths and other items from their victims, said detectives. Deputies say the group of teens may be linked to more crimes that happened in and near their neighborhood.
Investigators say they are looking for another 16 year-old boy who may have been involved in the burglary ring.
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MEMPHIS, TN – Police say a customer who entered a store during a robbery was able to leave and call police.
According to investigators, the robbery happened around 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at the Title Max loan store at 3130 Austin Peay.
Store employees told police a man walked into the store and jumped over the counter and pointed a gun at the clerk. A customer walked into the store a short time later. The clerk was able to nervously mouth that she was being robbed to the customer, said detectives. The customer told investigators that she left the store and called 911.
When police arrived on the scene, the clerk ran barefoot out of the store. Detectives say police found the suspect hiding in a closet.
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MEMPHIS, TN – Family members of a child who died from an asthma attack, say it happened because he witnessed a carjacking.
According to court documents, the carjacking happened around 9:40 p.m., July 18, 2008, at a Wal-Mart store on Austin Peay. Investigators stated in an affidavit, a woman was walking out of the store when a man armed with a gun walked up and demanded her Ford Escape, cell phone and purse. Police say the man then hit the woman with the gun, before he and another man got into the car and drove away.
Family members of 11 year-old Logan Green say he would still be alive today if he didn’t have to see the violence that happened right before his eyes.
Logan’s father, Marc Green, says watching the carjacking was just too much for Logan to handle, considering his asthma condition. Paramedics and doctors did all they could, but the asthma attack was just too strong, said Logan’s parents.
His parents say he loved animals and sports. They say Logan loved to play soccer and football despite having asthma.
According to investigators, both men involved in the carjacking have been arrested. Police say Mario Evans has been charged with carjacking, aggravated assault and gun crimes. Robert Love has been charged with carjacking.
Eyewitness News Everywhere asked authorities if any charges will be filed in connection with Logan’s death. The Shelby County DAs Office says there is not enough evidence to link the child’s death to the carjacking. A Memphis Police Department spokesperson told Eyewitness News Everywhere there is no current investigation into Logan’s death.
Bolton United Methodist Church is taking donations for Logan Green’s family. Logan’s parents say the money will be used to construct a memorial bench at the Memphis Zoo to commemorate Logan’s love for animals.
If you would like to donate, send your checks to the Logan Green Fund care of Bolton United Methodist Church, 7237 Brunswick Road, Arlington, Tennessee. |
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Jackson police are investigating the mauling death of a 3 year-old boy by a pit bull. Police say the child died Tuesday night from the attack by the chained animal in south Jackson. The boy, whom police are not identifying, was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center where he died. No one else was injured. Police spokesman Sgt. Jeffery Scott says the dog, which was shot when it attacked animal control officers, survived and will be evaluated.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) - DeSoto County officials are confirming an FBI investigation into allegations of inmate beatings at the county jail. Lent Rice, commander of the sheriff's department Internal Affairs Bureau, says at one least one jailer has been fired. Rice says files have been turned over to the FBI and local officials are cooperating with the investigation. Rice declined to identify any of the prisoners allegedly beaten, and he refused to name any officers connected with the allegations. Rice says the allegations concern a jailer who was fired about a month ago.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Memphis, TN- Police are looking for a man who talked his way into a senior living center and stabbed an elderly woman in the face with a fork.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2008 at St. Peter Manor in midtown Memphis. Police say a man walked into the senior living facility, wrote the name “J.C. Taylor, Junior” in the log and then proceeded to the third floor. That’s when he entered a room and stabbed a 79 year-old woman in the upper lip and wrist with a fork.
The building manager says the resident next door heard the struggle and went next door to see what was happening. That’s when, we’re told, the man said the woman he attacked “fell down” and he was going to go for help.
In a meeting today, the building manager reminded residents to keep their doors locked. Juanita Howie, who has lived at St. Peter Manor for nine years, realizes this attack could have happened to her.
"I always have to open my door to see who it is. They were going to fix my peephole so I can see out of it but they haven’t yet," says Howie.
The big question is how is St. Peter Manor going to make sure this doesn't happen again? The building manager says now when a visitor arrives, they will have to show a state ID, which will be logged in the guest register. Then, the receptionist will call up to the resident’s room to make sure it's alright to send the guest up. St. Peter Manor is also considering adding a security camera in the lobby.
The accused attacker is described as a man in his early 40’s, about six feet tall with glasses. At the time, he was wearing a purple jersey with the number “84” in white on the front. If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
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(Photo: Michael Hooks, Jr., former MCS board member, pleaded guilty to embezzlement Thursday, January 10. 2008. He was indicted as part of Operation Tennessee Waltz.)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Shelby County has hired a former county official recently released after serving a fraud conviction.
A Memphis newspaper reported on Wednesday that Michael Hooks Jr. was hired July 16 by the county Corrections Division as a part-time recruiter for a prisoner re-entry program.
County officials said Hooks will be paid $16.41 per hour to recruit inmates to participate in the Responsible Fatherhood program. It's aimed at reducing the number of inmates who break the law again.
County Mayor A C Wharton said the program gives people what he called "another shot to make good" and said that includes its hiring.
Hooks served 30 days in jail on his guilty plea in January to accepting $1,500 in fees for Juvenile Court consulting work that he didn't do.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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KINGSPORT, Tenn. (AP) - A 4 year-old boy has been struck and killed in Kingsport while riding a bicycle in the courtyard of an apartment complex. Police say Jamarion H. Carpenter was pronounced dead at Holston Valley Medical Center after being injured about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2008. Officers say he was struck by a Kingsport housing authority truck that had dropped off boxes. The incident is under investigation.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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SAVANNAH, Tenn. (AP) - The owner of a southern Tennessee furniture store has been charged with killing one of his employees. Ken Qualls, owner of Savannah Furniture exchange, was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly shooting an employee following an argument. Qualls has been charged with 1st Degree murder and having a gun without a permit. The name of the employee has not been released.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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HONOLULU (AP) - The U.S. Marshals Service says it's arrested a U.S. Navy sailor wanted for allegedly raping a boy in Memphis, Tennessee. John Davis was arrested Friday at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe on a warrant issued by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in Memphis. Davis' rank and unit were not immediately available. The Marshals Service says the 30 year-old Davis transferred to Hawaii from Memphis. It says the warrant was issued July 2, accusing Davis of holding a gun to a boy while molesting him. Davis is being held at the Oahu Community Correctional Center while he faces hearings for extradition to Tennessee. Navy Region Hawaii says it's unable to provide information on Davis or the case because of the ongoing investigation.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A former psychologist who evaluated sex offenders at North Dakota's state mental hospital faces federal charges of possession of child pornography.
Joseph Belanger, 61, pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts, including possession and receipt of materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
Steven Light, Belanger's attorney, said afterward that he had yet to review the evidence but that if the allegations prove to be true, "it's further evidence that this type of illness can strike anyone."
Belanger's trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 29.
Belanger, who worked at the State Hospital in Jamestown for more than 20 years, testified in court on whether convicted sex offenders were dangerous and should be confined indefinitely for psychiatric treatment. He was an expert witness in hundreds of cases, Light said.
"He was the go-to guy in the state," Light said.
In Iowa, The Des Moines Register reported in a copyright story that revelations about Belanger led to reviews of more than 145 cases in which he was involved, and to new trials for two sex offenders in that state.
Belanger's testimony isn't likely to affect North Dakota cases because of a law that had required supporting testimony from two expert witnesses to justify indefinite confinement of sexually dangerous individuals, state and federal officials said. The North Dakota Legislature repealed the two-expert requirement in 2007.
Belanger hasn't testified in any federal cases in North Dakota, said Drew Wrigley, the state's U.S. attorney.
Belanger resigned from the hospital in November, admitting in a letter to a state licensing board that he had an addiction to child pornography. He blamed childhood sexual abuse on the fact he has "been so frightened of the world and of women that I mostly used pornography ... as an outlet."
U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Klein ordered Belanger to report to a halfway house until he can be placed on electronic home monitoring. He is not allowed to have any contact with minors or have any use of computers and the Internet, Klein said.
The indictment accuses Belanger of receiving the images in November 1999 and June 2007. Prosecutors would not give any details about the case but said Belanger was identified as part of "Operation Flicker," a federal investigation to find subscribers of child pornography Web sites.
"It's gut-wrenching when you have a chance to talk to the victims themselves," Wrigley said.
©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A New Jersey man who once claimed insanity was convicted Monday of a hate crime for accosting Nazi death camp survivor and scholar Elie Wiesel in a hotel elevator.
Eric Hunt, 24, was convicted in San Francisco Superior Court of one felony charge of false imprisonment with a hate crime allegation. Hunt was also convicted of two misdemeanor counts - one for battery and one for elder abuse.
The jury dismissed charges of attempted kidnapping, stalking and a second false imprisonment charge.
He had withdrawn his original not guilty by reason of insanity plea, eliminating the need for a second trial to determine his sanity at the time of the crime.
Hunt shook in his seat after the verdict was read. He could face as long as three years in prison.
"We are pleased with the verdict," said his attorney, John Runfola. "I'm just saddened it took this long to get justice for this young guy who is mentally ill."
During the nine-day trial, Wiesel, 79, testified that he thought Hunt was trying to kidnap him when he was forcefully pulled off an elevator at San Francisco's Argent Hotel on Feb. 1, 2007.
On the witness stand, Wiesel read comments allegedly written on a Web site by Hunt calling Wiesel's accounts of the Holocaust "fictitious."
Wiesel's parents and younger sister died in Nazi death camps during World War II. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 and has written more than 40 books, many of them about the Holocaust and Judaism.
Hunt's lawyers contend that his online statements were the result of a mental illness and not anti-Semitism and that Hunt is being treated.
"He is not a Holocaust denier," Runfola said.
Sentencing is set for August. (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Memphis, TN - Ten days have passed since the California-based bank, IndyMac, went belly up. IndyMac is the seventh U.S. bank to fail since the credit meltdown started last summer. It is the 5th bank to go under this year.
And on Sunday, July 20, 2008, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced more banks are at risk of collapsing.
The news footage of frantic bank customers lined up outside IndyMac, desperate to get their hands on their life savings, makes 60 year-old Memphian Ernestine Harris wonder if her bank and her money are safe.
"If something happened, I really wouldn't know if I could get to my money," she says, "but I hope that I could. After working long years and I'm trying to retire, I sure hope I wouldn't have a problem getting to it."
In a tough economy, one where banks are threatened, people can get panicky. Stashing cash under a mattress or burying it in the backyard starts to look like an attractive alternative to putting it in a checking or savings account.
But Mid-South bank officials say leave your money where it is because Uncle Sam has your back.
"I understand that customers are concerned," says David Popwell, the President of Mid-South Banking for First Tennessee. "But people should have confidence in our banking system and in the FDIC insurance process."
FDIC is a government program created during the Great Depression. And for the last 75 years, it's been protecting Mid-Southerner's assets.
"Banks are insured by the FDIC," says Popwell, "which is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. And banks like ours pay premiums to the FDIC that helps build reserves to come in to pay depositors in the event of a bank's failure."
The FDIC covers savings and checking accounts, NOW accounts, Certificates of Deposit, Christmas Club accounts and even Traveler's Checks.
Popwell says FDIC insures individual accounts up to $100,000. Joint accounts are covered up to $200,000. Certain retirement accounts are insured up to $250,000. And Popwell says some accounts that are payable upon death are covered up to $100,000 per beneficiary.
The Mid-South's largest banks, including First Tennessee, Regions, and SunTrust all offer FDIC protection. To find out if your banking institution is FDIC-friendly look for the FDIC sign or simply ask the teller.
"I truly believe that you're better off having your money in the system with FDIC insurance," says Popwell, "than you are hiding it in your backyard or your coffee can."
Ernestine Harris, a longtime First Tennessee customer, believes that too. She says she has faith that her money is in good hands.
"I feel like I can trust my bank," she says. "Just use your instincts and trust in God."
After taking over IndyMac, the FDIC is now keeping an eye on 90 other troubled banks around the country. FDIC won't identify those banks. But Mid-South financial experts tell Eyewitness News Everywhere they do not believe any of the area's major banking institutions are on the watch list.
The FDIC currently has $53 billion available to pay off customers at failed banks. The federal agency estimates it will cost between $4 billion and $8 billion to bailout IndyMac. Other banks will likely see their insurance premiums go up to keep FDIC fully funded.
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Memphis, TN- A Mid-South lawn care company is now under state investigation after 105 complaints to the BBB from customers.
We first told you about "Turfco" in August 2007. On Wednesday, July 16, 2008, the BBB issued its fourth consumer alert. The company is accused of billing customers for services not received, or continuing to charge people after they have cancelled service.
"All he's trying to do is shift the blame. We wouldn't even be in the picture if he was taking care of his customers," says BBB spokesperson Randy Hutchinson of “Turfco” owner Henry Weaver.
Susan Carr, a former “Turfco” customer of nine years, says she keeps getting a bill for $190 for termite service at a home where she says she no longer lives.
"I had moved and cancelled my service and each time I called they never credited my account. I would get another bill," says Carr.
Because of the amount of complaints piling up, the BBB has taken an additional step.
"We've provided copies to several government agencies. The Attorney General's office, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Agriculture. They've got the authority to straighten up his act or put him out of business," says Hutchinson.
This is what former customers like Susan Carr says should happen to someone who she says is taking advantage of people.
“Apparently you don't care about your customers and pretty soon I don't think you're going to have any in the Mid-South."
We did get in touch with owner Henry Weaver. He told us his lawyer does not want him doing an interview with us on camera, but he did respond to Ms. Carr's complaint in an email. Mr. Weaver agreed there was confusion over the cancellation of this account and agreed to credit Ms. Carr first thing on Tuesday, July 22, 2008. We will follow up and let you know if that happens.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has two pending cases and one open investigation involving "Turfco's" use of pesticides. The state says "Turfco’s” insurance and bonding expired at the end of June 2008 and is not currently up to date. A state spokesperson says if owner Henry Weaver cannot prove he has insurance, the state will give him 30 days to comply and then could take away his license.
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