Other theories about the case include a scorned, jealous husband or boyfriend (all three men had an ongoing bet about who could sleep with the most women) and the local mob. Ultimately, the shooters would kill four people before escaping into the unknown. Authorities said it was not clear what prompted the call from Whited, who was jailed for the killing with bail set at $15,000. A month later, an anonymous tip led searchers to Lake Tuscaloosa near the Alabama 69 bridge about 10 miles north of Northport. Jowers was buried the following Wednesday at Demopolis Memorial Gardens in Marengo County, according to a brief newspaper obituary. The murders shocked the area and although the . According to our research of Alabama and other state lists, there were 61 registered sex offenders living in Jasper, Alabama as of March 01, 2023. They cried with us. Churches would cook for all of the search groups," Kubiszyn said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. It has been 25 years since 25-year-old Carrie Smith Lawson disappeared in Walker County on Sept. 11, 1991. They had been married for 18 months when the call came early that morning from a woman saying they needed to get to the hospital right away. The killer or killers had beaten Elaine so badly that she had gone into labor midway through the attack. The sheriff admitted 10 years is a mighty long time for any family to suffer without any sort of resolution, but he insists its not a lack of trying on the investigators part. Barker lived somewhere nearby at the time of the murders but was known to frequently spend his nights with his two close friends at the house on LaSalle Street. The first discovery was a vehicle belonging to one of the abducted four. Looks like they had a party. It taught me a lot about how to be a friend, and I never stop thinking about the people who took time off from their jobs, time off from school to search and cry with us.". "Mr. Johnny Swinten, Vietnam Vet. Let's just arrest him on a drug charge, get him in jail.' Keddie, however, became infamous on the night of April 11, 1981. "I fully expected when we got down there, they would have found her and it would be over. Following a negative DNA test in 2008, Springsteen and Scott were both released in 2009. Because of this, and because of wall-to-wall media coverage of such events, it can be easy to assume that this era of mass murder is unprecedented in American history. Investigators deduced that the attack had been part of a robbery, and the attacker had opened fire after McFarland managed to call 911. The numbers are only getting. The Meeks were tenants on land owned by the Taylors. The case of Jack Kelly made things a little interesting. Kubiszyn said Carrie was the bright light in their family. McPherson quickly pleaded guilty in November 1991 and was sentenced to life in prison. E, was pronounced dead at the scene by Tuscaloosa Police. These cases are solvable, but we need your help. In response to the murders of 17-year-old Ruth Shelton, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 16-year-old Daniel Roy Davis, Burger Chef offered the public a $25,000 reward for any clues that could lead to an arrest. (WSAV) There are 42 unsolved murder cases in Jasper County dating from 1979 to 2018. Thirty years ago . Despite Bland's death, and McPherson's swift arrest on first-degree kidnapping charges, the searches for Carrie continued by hundreds, if not thousands. His penis had also been removed. "The FBI, they're pretty direct on what you can expect," he said. Lawson has since remarried, has three children and continues to work as an attorney. She will be eligible for parole consideration again in five years. Others suggested that drug addicts had killed the Dardeen family in order to hock their possessions for drug money. Paul Burch said on the show that Jones told investigators he needed to tell them about a hairdresser he had abducted at knife-point from a Georgia salon, drawing diagrams of where his and her cars were. "That was the first time I felt alone," he said. "It's obvious we're not happy with the result of the kidnapping investigation and I was in charge of it," former FBI Special Agent in Charge Allen P. Whitaker said in 1993. ", "That doesn't happen to people. June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh, 53, calls 911 and reports he found his wife Margaret, 52, and son Paul, then 22, shot dead outside of their home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of. My uncle lived in Nebraska. Other clues at the crime scene included the position of the bodies. Then police got a phone call. Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? CHICAGO (CBS) -- A mob gambling operator "was taken for a ride" and lived to tell about it. There were psychics, and more inmates looking for a way out of lockup for a day, but never any success in finding Carrie's remains. Throughout the county and city, similar stories of prolonged grief are being played out; 28 unsolved homicides since 2009. Lawson said much of those first few months after Carrie's disappearance and Bland's suicide is a blur. |, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. It was early that Tuesday morning -- about 4:30 a.m. -- that agents reported hearing a single gunshot inside Bland's home. Several people were inside the bowling alley, including three adults and four children. I always felt like he had this deep-seated feeling that he failed Carrie because he couldn't protect her," she said. In 2001, Springsteen was sentenced to death. Upon a close examination of the crime scene, police discovered that each victim had been struck in the head with some kind of blunt object. Drugs -- primarily cocaine -- helped fuel that fall. She wasn't a spectacular student, she wasn't a beauty queen, she wasn't someone who leaves their mark by being famous. The bottom line is this: I dont disagree that my sister deserved to be punished. "I was 26 years old, and I still had to work and earn a living somehow.". "I think we found five dead bodies searching for Carrie, and certainly we found people who would kill somebody for a couple of hundred dollars. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). When she entered the salon, she first saw the corpse of 62-year-old Dorothy Harris. If you know something, SAY something. Jones claimed to have killed 21 women in five states in 12 years, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported in 2005. Mobile County Sheriffs Office Capt. You'd go to location A, and then he'd call you on that payphone and tell you to go to location B, which might be 20 miles down the road," Lawson said. This booking photo provided by police in Decatur, Ala., shows Johnny Dwight Whited. The other three were so badly burned that further examination was almost impossible.[9]. "He had duct tape and told Carrie to duct tape my hands behind my back. Some locals insinuated, though, that the men were connected to the Mafia and had plundered clients and equipment away from Records Security. Furthermore, on February 11, 2008, a composite sketch of the killer was released showing a young black male with tight and thick cornrows. I couldn't believe this was happening. Burch was a detective who investigated Nichols murder. July 12, 2013 / 6:03 PM / CBS Chicago. The pair would eventually return to the cabin. Crime in Jasper, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map All Cities Alabama, Alabama smaller cities, Alabama small towns Jasper main page US Crime Crime rate in Jasper, Alabama (AL) For two days, police and citizen volunteers searched the area for the missing workers. If you would like to buy one, you can reach Mitchell at (843) 683-0568, or on Facebook at Charles Mitchell. } He doesn't talk about Carrie or the case much, but said not a day goes by when he doesn't think about the kindness shown to him and his and Carrie's families. The former location of Classics Lounge is currently occupied by Crimson Bar. The case file on Brown remains what it . Shaquille Granta football star at the school, somebody killed him, said Detective Charles Mitchell with the Hardeeville Police Department. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Jones raped and shot Nichols, then set fire to Nichols Turnerville area home. "I had every hope in the world there was going to be a good ending to this.". Earl Lawson told himself one thing, even as it was happening: It will all be over soon. Jamol Horton actually helped do the foundation for my house and some of my friends homes, Mitchell said, He also coached my son in little league football.. Then, when the police arrived, they found two more bodies in the utility room at the back of the store. "I remember having to call them and tell them what just happened," he said, "and that is maybe the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life.". Cold Case e-mail: coldcasetips@AlabamaAG.gov. Namely, members of Bostons underworld frequented Blackfriars, and on the night in question, several men in the bars basement were busy playing a game of backgammon when they were fired upon. According to a story written by reporter Wendy Reeves and published in the Tuscaloosa News the day after the shooting, Jowers was shot in the head while walking a girlfriend to her car in the parking lot of Classics Lounge at 613 37th Street between 2:10-2:15 a.m. Jones was also implicated in the deaths of Amanda Greenwell, 16, of Douglasville, Ga. and Katherine Collins, 45, a New Orleans sex worker. If your interested in cold cases, you may find yourself wondering about how many unsolved murders in US a year. Whited, 53, of Trinity, was charged with murder after providing details that matched evidence and information collected after Dailey's death, police said in a statement. A popular theory has it that ex-cons Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, the main villains in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood, actually carried out the murders. Alabama Department of Corrections lists McPherson as being in a Birmingham work release program. if( width > 480 ){ I know my sister, and if she had any inclination that there was going to be harm done to Carrie, she wouldnt have done this.. "He would run you around every night. Concealed in the ransom bag was another beeper, which would allow agents to follow the kidnapper. The house belonged to two of the victims, 34-year-old Robert Gierse and 27-year-old Robert Hinson. "We were all in the kitchen discussing what needed to be done with Jerry Bland. U.S. Alabama murder case goes unsolved for 25 years. His corpse, which was found in a nearby field, showed that Keith had been shot three times. Earl Lawson was bound, and Carrie Lawson was never seen again. There is talk among both departments of forming a special cold case unit. Keiths wife, 30-year-old Ruby Elaine Dardeen, was found dead alongside the couples three-year-old son Peter. "It was amazing to watch. With no football fans or tourists in town, the cool but clear fall weekend had been a relatively uneventful one for Tuscaloosa. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Jasper, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. All three of the victims worked in the microfilm industry. The woman who found Dorothy Harriss body described seeing the cases only suspecta strange young male described as wearing a long, dark jacket (maybe a Western duster) and a black hat that may have been a top hat or fedora and carrying some kind of object in his hands. He still responds to tips, and continues to fight against parole for McPherson, most recently in August. "I was going to be at that house when she came walking up the driveway," she said. Amazon. TUSCALOOSA, AL The highly-publicized trial of football star and accused murderer O.J. I think probably in the last 10 years, he's more resigned to the fact that we probably won't find her, but if anybody calls him and says they know something, he's going to follow up on it. DALLAS COUNTY, AL (WSFA) - Jan. 21, 2015, Kirby Brown, all of 22 years old, was found lying on his back shot to death near his home in the Pine Glen Estates off Highway 80 near Selma. When he does talk about it, it's to use it as proof of what God can do in someone's life. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); Sadly, Senac died in 1999 due to complications from the shooting. Indeed, believe it or not, American citizens are currently living in a time of unprecedented peace.[1]. "Of course it bothered me. On November 18, 1978, an off-duty employee of the Burger Chef, a local fast food joint in Speedway, Indiana, found the restaurant's back door wide open. Posted at 1:45 PM, Nov 20, 2018 . The bank was located 32 kilometers (20 mi) away from the hair salon, thus meaning that the murders happened in a very narrow window of time. Many, if not most should be considered armed and dangerous. "No matter what deck of cards life deals you, no matter how bad it is, you can overcome that. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. It was kind of crazy.". Early in the morning, Carolyn Elizabeth Lawson, then 25 years old, answered her phone, and was informed that she had a family member in the hospital, severely injured. Without a suspect and no information that could lead to one, detectives kept following leads without any success. Plundered clients and equipment away from Records Security which was found dead alongside the three-year-old. Were so badly that she had gone into labor midway through the attack Sept. 11, 1991 people!, 2018 time I felt alone, '' she said clear fall weekend had been a uneventful. 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