| |
| | Wednesday, November 15, 2017
|
Ebbs sentenced in 2016 death
Cocke County Circuit Court Judge Carter Moore accepted a number of guilty pleas Tuesday. Harold Lee Ebbs, 51, Neddy Mountain Road, Del Rio, was charged with Second Degree murder in the death of his roommate, James Herbert Layman, 51, on May 11, 2016. According to Asst. DA Joanne Sheldon, the two men argued over knives, and the victim allegedly pulled a knife on Ebbs threatening to kill him if he didn't return his knives. Later outside the home, Ebbs allegedly picked up a shovel and struck Layman several times over the head. The warrant alleged that as Layman lay on the ground, the defendant took a box cutter from the victim's pocket, opened it and tossed it near where Layman lay. Ebbs fled the area following the incident and was arrested in Fitzgerald, Georgia, in June. In a negotiated plea to Voluntary Manslaughter, Ebbs was given a 15 year sentence and 45 percent will have to be served before he is eligible for parole. The defendant who has emotional and auditory issues, will be housed in a state special needs facility. Deborah Messick, 51, of Knoxville pleaded guilty to arson, aggravated burglary, theft over $10,000 and vandalism over $60,000, in connection with the 2014 fire which destroyed the Delmar Jackson home on Splashaway Road, Newport. The $160,000 fire was investigated by the Tennessee Bomb and Arson Division. Following negotiations, Messick entered a Best Interest plea, and Judge Moore sentenced her to a 13 year term on probation. She also was ordered to make restitution of $170,400, stemming from the fire and an earlier burglary of the Jackson home. Co-defendant Victoria Stafford, 48, also of Knoxville also entered a Best Interest plea to aggravated burglary and theft over $10,000. She was given a four year sentence on supervised probation, and was ordered to make restitution of $10,400. Jackson told investigators he left for work at about 4:30a.m., and was contacted by a neighbor at 5 am, reporting his home was on fire on November 3, 2014. In February, 2015, Messick and Victoria Stafford,48, also of Knoxville were charged with aggravated burglary and theft over $1,000 in the July, 2014 burglary of the Jackson home prior to the fire. Bradley Grooms, 28, Morrell Springs Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to a number of offenses including the burglary of the home of Cocke County Commissioner Robert Green in 2016. As a result of that burglary, Grooms and co-defendant Keith Webb, 46, received federal prison terms for possession of firearms taken from the Green residence. Grooms received a 72 month federal sentence. On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to ten cases; owning, operating or conducting a chop-shop, three counts vandalism over $1,000, joyriding, resisting arrest, evading arrest, two counts criminal trespass, four counts theft over $1,000, aggravated assault, vandalism over $500, aggravated burglary, burning personal property and possession of drug paraphernalia. Donald Busler,31, Orchard View Road, Newport was late for his plea hearing on a charge of Child Abuse/Neglect/Endangerment. So the court ordered him drug tested. The test was positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, and marijuana, and so judge Moore ordered Busler jailed.
|
Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
US 411 Project News
Mill Creek Wildfire Update
More Bad News For Smokies' Fans
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Mill Creek Wildfire doubles in size
Goodbye Smokies?
Keep Cocke County Beautiful
Cocke Co. High School Remote Learning today!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The fireflies are coming!
Burnout Operations on MillCreek wildfire today
Gas prices drop
Tennessee keeps all US House seats
Monday, April 26, 2021
Boat accident victim ID'd
Traffic stop yields drug arrest
Cocke County Wildfires
Friday, April 23, 2021
Leaving WNPC
Mathis announces candidacy
Newport drug roundup
Cruise Against Cancer
Jobless numbers
|
|
|