Need a car, truck or van?

The town of Smyrna auctions off it's surplus property through govdeals.com. This is for worn out government vehicles, seized vehicles and misc. equipment.

Here is a screen shot of the first page of three showing what is currently up for bid. Click to enlarge.



If interested go to Govdeals.com and register to bid.

Our town

Police Alert

From the Smyrna Police Department.

We need your help locating a couple of suspects targeting senior citizens. Photos of the suspects are attached.

On January 25, 2012, two men attempted to fraud several elderly females in a home repair service scam. The two men went to several homes in Smyrna and introduced themselves as contractors and roofers or gutter installers and offered to perform repairs on the women's homes. The men wanted payment in advance to cover material costs. Most of the women told the men to leave; however, one woman did give the suspects a check but her bank became suspicious and would not accept the transaction when the men attempted to cash the check. Smyrna Police has identified one of the suspects as Johnny R. Lovell (photo attached) but we still do not have an identity of the suspect, who claimed to be Lovell's boss. An arrest warrant for Felony Theft has been issued for Johnny Ringo Lovell (age 27). Lovell has a Florida ID as well as a Tennessee ID. We ask that anyone with information regarding Lovell's location or the identity/location of the second suspect, to contact the Smyrna Police Department at (615) 459-6644 or Det. Robert Monroe at (615) 459-9742, 5455.

Sergeant Bobby Gibson
Smyrna Police Department

Police press release

The local police have been busy fighting the drug war in our town.

On January 17, 2012, Smyrna Narcotics officers executed a search warrant at the A & M Tobacco and Beer store in Smyrna. Prior to the search warrant narcotics officers conducted several undercover operations to determine if any businesses were still selling the illegal synthetic drugs commonly known as Molly's Plant Food and Bath Salts. Narcotics officers conducting the undercover operation did purchase these items from A & M Tobacco and Beer. They presented their evidence to a judge and were granted a search warrant.

This search warrant revealed that the business was in possession of several packages of synthetics available for resale. Below is a list of items seized in the search warrant and a photo of the items is attached.

32 packages of 7H Hydro (synthetic cannabinoid)
6 packages of 25K (unknown synthetic - pending TBI lab results)
24 packages of Stars 7 (unknown synthetic/possible Molly's - pending TBI lab results)
1 package of Zaney Bar (possible synthetic Zanax - pending TBI lab results)
8 packages of unknown substances believed to be other types of synthetic pending lab results


Once lab results are returned, all evidence will be presented to the Rutherford County Grand Jury and they will determine if any or what charges will be filed.

Side Note: On September 7th, 2012, law enforcement agencies across Rutherford County including Smyrna Police, assisted the TBI in operation Sinful Smoke, targeting the distribution of synthetics in stores.

It's interesting to see the variety of products being sold.

Our town

Here are the basic numbers for December and the year 2011 for police responses.

Our Town

Here are the monthly and year-to-date crime numbers from the Smyrna Police Department.

Our Town

Here are the monthly and year total dispatched crime numbers for Smyrna.

These are the monthly and year to date dispatched calls for service that officers have responded to at the Smyrna Police Department. This is not the Uniform Crime Report that is submitted to the FBI and TBI. To access the Uniform Crime Report go to www.tennesseecrimeonline.com.

Followup to jewelry store robbery

The robbery that I posted about Wednesday of last week has taken an unusual turn. The clerk during the robbery fired a shotgun at the vehicle as it fled with the suspected criminal...but there possible could have been uninvolved vehicles struck.

From the SPD.

On October 19, 2011 the Smyrna Police Department responded to an armed robbery at American Jewelry on Sam Ridley Parkway. During the course of the investigation, officers on scene discovered that a vehicle driven by an uninvolved individual received damage during the incident. Detectives from the Smyrna Police Department are conducting an investigation to determine if this vehicle may have been struck by fragmentation or shot pellets fired by the robbery victim. Once the investigation is complete, Smyrna Detectives will consult with the District Attorney's Office to determine if charges will be filed.

The DNJ has more details.

Charges could be filed against an American Jewelry store clerk who fired a shotgun at a fleeing robbery suspect here Oct. 19 if police determine shotgun pellets or bullet fragments struck a vehicle occupied by a mother and her young daughter.

A Smyrna Police incident report reads that Smyrna resident Kelly Renee Bearden and her daughter, who attends Rock Springs Elementary School, were in the area of American Jewelry the night the clerk — whose name has not been released by police — fired his shotgun at a robber who was fleeing the store.
......
“Once the investigation is complete, Smyrna Detectives will consult with the District Attorney's Office to determine if charges will be filed,” Gibson wrote in a Wednesday news release.

The use of a firearm has many legal ramifications to it and this is one of them. As a gun enthusiast I understand the danger of knowing your target AND what is behind it. Bullets do not care whom they strike, so in a high stress situation you need to be extra careful.

Helping the local police

The local police is asking for your help to local a suspect in a local robbery.

Click images to enlarge

WE NEED YOUR HELP LOCATING A SUSPECT

Today, October 19, 2011 around 5:00 pm, a black male entered American Jewelry on Sam Ridley Parkway in Smyrna and requested the clerk repair his watch. The clerk serviced the watch and returned it to the suspect who then asked to look at some bracelets. After the clerk removed several trays from the jewelry case, the suspect produced a chrome, semi-automatic handgun and demanded the clerk place the jewelry in a black nylon bag. The suspect then bound the clerk's hands and forced him to lay down in the office. The suspect then exited the store and left in a dark colored, late model two door vehicle, possibly a Toyota Celica or similar styled vehicle.




The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5'8" - 5'10" tall and weighing 160 - 170 pounds. He had goatee style facial hair and appeared to be in his mid-late 30's. He was wearing a dark colored stocking cap with a bill and also wore a black leather jacket. His pants were dark denim and he was wearing a black t-shirt with a multi-color design on the chest. He left the store with stolen cash, a Christian Bernard watch, multiple pairs of diamond stud earrings and multiple bracelets including a large diamond tennis bracelet.



The suspect vehicle is a late model, dark colored, two door car, possible a Toyota Celica. The clerk was able to free his hands and retrieve a shotgun and shoot the suspect's vehicle before the suspect escaped. The vehicle should have damage from a shotgun blast to the right passenger side of the vehicle. The suspect also entered the store wearing a very distinctive and expensive watch. The watch brand is Hublot and has an approximate value of $20,000.


Anyone with information about the suspect or this crime is requested to contact the Smyrna Police Department at (615) 459-6644.

That is one expensive watch.

Double Hatchet Murder II

A big thanks to Jerome Azbell for introducing me to a new newspaper archive so I can end this story in a proper manner.

Last week I told you of the bloody story of William Cook and the hatchet murder of his wife and niece. The story from what I had been able to find ended on a cliffhanger with his arrest. The ending is told in newspaper articles from around the country.

The first think I found was that many of the initial stories from last week were old. As newspaper had need to fill small spaces in the columns, they pulled interesting and shocking stories from other sources to fill their need.

The next article is from the Youngstown Vindicator - Aug 26, 1913. It is pretty much just another filler, but pre-dates the September articles of last week. I guess even in Ohio a murder like this was shocking from a distance.


The next article was from the Spartanburg Herald-journal Aug 30 1913 from Spartanburg South Carolina. This tells that he was brought to Nashville due to threats of Mob Violence. Since he was arrested in Nashville according to some articles, he might have been brought to Smyrna, then moved back when the people got upset...or was initially arrested in Smyrna, and newspapers said Nashville because Smyrna was small. Either way the idea of mob violence in Smyrna was interesting.

Also note that the hatchet murder had become a clubbing. The Hickory Bludgeon with blood still on it had been found and is part of the evidence...but no more hatchet.



The story skips a little as a lot of newspaper that followed it such as the Atlanta Constitution are behind pay firewalls, so the story jumps. We find in this article from The Daily Republican - Nov 26, 1913 published in Cape Girardeau Missouri (price $.05) that he has not just been convicted, but that he is seeking to get the order for electrocution overturned. The article says that the order for his death is to be carried out in less then one month. Swift justice you might say...but wait.



I went to the state of Tennessee website and viewed the list of executed individuals in Tennessee and found that Cook was not there...but the information listed might explain why.

Until 1913, all individuals convicted of a capital offense were hanged.� There are no official records of the number or names of those executed.� From 1913 to 1915, there was no capital punishment in Tennessee.� C. Rye was Governor during the first execution by electrocution.� From 1916 until 1960, 125 persons were executed by electrocution in Tennessee

As Cook was convicted in 1913 I am confused by the article that mentioned electrocution as the state website says that period was ALL convicted individuals were hanged. Then for a 3 year period starting just as his first conviction happened executions stopped. In 1916 they restarted with electrocutions being the method used. I'm not sure why this discrepancy exists, but the story continues.

I found an article by Donald F. Paine that explained how he could be ordered executed this way.

Before 1913 the state hung ’em high. For example, that was the method of execution exacted upon Catlett Tipton and Pleas Wynn for the 1896 Sevier County Whitecaps murders of William and Laura Whaley (see my August 2001 column). But on Sept. 27, 1913, Gov. Ben Hooper signed what became Chapter 36 of the Public Acts. It mandated construction of a Nashville Penitentiary death chamber with “an electrical apparatus … sufficient for the infliction of punishment of death.” I have seen a photograph of that original electric chair.

The Governor had just order in the month before his conviction the construction of “an electrical apparatus" to induce death. It likely was the 3 year pause that allowed him to escape such a death.

I figured that justice would be swift, but since he did not show on the list of individuals executed the next article likely explains why. From St Petersburg Florida we find that while still convicted of the murder of his wife, he is about to face another jury for his niece...in January 1920.



Seventh time!!!! Well either he had a great attorney, or the case was very weak. At least the article says that he was convicted of his wife's death, but once again I wonder if he served his time and left the state, or was shived in the prison yard.

trying to follow a story from almost a hundred years ago is a bit frustrating.

Seeking victims of crime in Smyrna

This is an odd one. Instead of seeking a suspected criminal, the Smyrna Police Department is seeking possible victims. The police press release mentioned there could be other victims, and are asking you to step forward if you feel you have been wronged.

A pastor from the 1st Free Methodist Church in Smyrna was caught via video camera attempting to burglarize the home of a church member.

The burglary victim noticed on several occasions that medications were missing from the home. The burglaries occurred while the victim was away from the home so the victim set up a video camera in hopes of catching the suspect.

On July 4, 2011 the video camera did capture the victim's pastor, Rickey Alan Reed (55), at the rear door of the home attempting to manipulate the lock mechanisms and gain entry to the home. After viewing the video, the victim contacted Smyrna Police on July 15, 2011 and filed a police report.

An arrest warrant was issued for Reed and he was notified of the warrant. Reed did report to the Smyrna Police Department on September 18, 2011 and was processed on the warrant. Reed was charged with Aggravated Burglary and he did make bond on his charges.


During the course of this investigation, Smyrna Police have determined that Reed may have burglarized the homes of other church members but many of these members are hesitant to report these burglaries to police. We want to encourage anyone suspecting Reed of burglarizing their home to contact Detective Kevin Krieb of the Smyrna Police Department. Det. Krieb can be contacted at (615) 459-9742, ext. 5148.

We do have a copy of the victim's surveillance video.

When a person in authority, whether it is religious, political, or familial does something rotten, the impact is much greater then a betrayal by a random stranger.

In our town

Each month the Smyrna Police Department releases basic crime figures to let you know what is going on here. Here are the numbers for September and the accumulated numbers for the year. Sadly Smyrna suffered its first murder last month in a domestic situation. A piece of good news is the capture of a suspect in two robberies in Smyrna and more elsewhere.

Local Robbery Suspect arrested

A suspect has been arrested for two robberies that occurred in Smyrna in the last few months. The first was in July at the Hot Spot Tanning and the second was at Hollywood tanning in August. Both times near the very end of the month. The suspect is a local resident and admitted to robberies in Mt. Juliet, Nashville and Murfreesboro...he's been a busy little bee.

The Smyrna Police Department released the following statement today.

Around 3:30 pm on October 6, 2011, Smyrna Police Detectives located and arrested Dustin A. English (30) for 2 counts of aggravated robbery. English was the suspect in robberies from two Smyrna businesses, Hot Spot Tanning and Hollywood Tan. English was apprehended at his home on Kilgrow Court in Smyrna and was brought to the Smyrna Police Department for processing. English confessed to committing the two robberies in Smyrna as well as several other robberies that occurred in Murfreesboro, Nashville and Mount Juliet. English was unable to post the $30,000 bond and was transported to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. His court date is set for October 13, 2011.

More details on WSMV and NewsChannel5.

NOTE:
On another NewsChannel5 article it turns out his crimes were drug related.

Police said English admitted to detectives that he robbed the store because he needed money to support a drug habit.

Double Hatchet murder in Smyrna

Sounds shocking but Smyrna had a bloody past that few know about. For instance the Cook murders is one good example.

I was in the Library of Congress' collection of newspaper and came across this small tidbit of information.


This was a small filler in the the Hayti Herald from Hayti, Mo on September 14th 1913. I was surprised as you would think that tales of murder would become part of a towns past and passed on. I then realized that so many people that live here really just live here because it is a bedroom community. This disconnect from our past is a great failing.

With this small bit of murder and mayhem I dug further and found a more detailed account in the oddest of places...Kentucky. The Crittenden press-record from Marion Kentucky on Sep 18, 1913 went into more detail on the situation.





Wow. The story changes some from hatchet to include the usage of clubs. An odd case like this during this time period does not have the luxury of CSI magic to find the killer. I wondered if this story would be open ended.

In a humorous instance of being early to press, or lacking the latest information I found that the Crittenden press-record was trumped by the Farmers Champion from Elgin Oklahoma on the same exact date. They had just a small bit of information, but it was more up to date. An Arrest!



Cook was the murderer!?!?!?!

Then my search came up cold and I never found out if he was convicted or this was a false arrest. Stay tuned for part 2 where the assistance of a local librarian gives me the answers that I sought.

They call it recovery II

The recovery project for today is a little complex because of the way they have it listed on the recovery website. This one is listed as part of the TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION. The basic description is thus.

Grants program which carries out a multi-faceted response to crime and victimization in Tennessee by supporting the improvement of the infrastructure of the state's criminal justice system.

The details for this project need a little extra explaining.



The projects webpage lists a gigantic number for jobs created and monies invested.

Award Number 2009-SU-B9-0002
Funding Agency Department of Justice
Total Award Amount $30,827,729
Project Location - City Nashville
Award Date 04/29/2009
Project Location - State TN
Project Status More than 50% Completed
Project Location - Zip 372431102
Jobs Reported 209.00
Congressional District 05
Project Location - Country US

30 million and over 200 jobs created!!! That larger then the town budget. Of course the web page is for the entire project state wise. I had to go back to the original Recovery Map to get the basic information for the local part of the statewide project.





It seems out of the larger project of 30 million that Smyrna received $56,000 and has no jobs created. This recovery project seems inline with yesterdays as one to bolster existing projects and not a job creating project.

This project is part of the Bryne Jag program. Since I did not know what that was, I thought I would find out and share the information with you.

The JAG Program, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Program provides states, tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution and court, prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, and technology improvement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.

Well that's the program for today. An investment in the local effort to assist in fighting crime.

Stay tuned for tomorrows recovery program.

Interesting news I guess

A local resident is in the news and regretfully it is not good for the person in question.

Ashley McKinnon of Smyrna, Tennessee is a freelance prostitute who posts her services on Backpage.Com. She is apparently a jill-of-all-trades, because she decided to add armed-robber to her resume'.

Sources report that Ashley McKinnon, the smug-looking wreck you see on left, was offering her sexual services on the popular site, Backpage.Com where she met her "John". The man, who isn't being named, apparently ordered her for delivery, because he invited her to his Clarksville home. When she arrived, two other women were with her and they overpowered him; hitting him with a hammer and spraying him with pepper spray

I'm intrigued enough to go see what offers are on the backpage.com website.

In our town

Here are the monthly crime numbers from the Smyrna Police Department. This is a brief overview of something that should be very important to you.

These are the monthly and year to date calls for service that officers have responded to at the Smyrna Police Department. This is not the Uniform Crime Report that is submitted to the FBI and TBI

He's back

The same looking guy that robbed the Hot Spot tanning business in July has hit another tanning site in Smyrna. We really need to take this guy down people.

WE NEED YOUR HELP LOCATING AN ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT

On August 28, 2011, around 7:45 pm, the Hollywood Tan business on Sam Ridley Parkway was robbed. The suspect entered the business, pulled a plastic bag from his front pocket and told the two female employees that he "suggests they empty the cash register and fill the bag with cash." The suspect implied he had a gun, but never presented an actual weapon. The two employees complied and the suspect left the business on foot. This suspect is a white male, approximately 6'00" tall, 200 lbs and appears to be approximately 30 years of age. He was wearing blue jeans, a light blue t-shirt and a dark blue baseball cap.

This suspect matches the description of a suspect who robbed the Hot Spot Tanning in Smyrna on July 30, 2011 around 8:50 pm. We also believe that the suspect in these two robberies is the same person who robbed a Smoothie King in Murfreesboro on August 29th around 8:45 pm.

The suspect may also be driving a white, Ford Ranger truck with a missing license plate. The truck may also have a note in the window stating "lost tag."

This suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.

We are hoping someone will recognize this suspect from the attached images. Anyone with information about this suspect or these robberies is requested to contact Detective Joe Monroe of the Smyrna Police Department at (615) 267-5455 or Smyrna Dispatch at (615) 459-6644.

Person of interest footage from shooting at Imperial Gardens Apts

Last night there was a shooting in Smyrna. Robin Garner of the Smyrna AM mentioned this on her Facebook, and in the comments it was reported that the SWAT was even called out due to the situation being dangerous. I received this video and hope it helps the police come to a successful end of this needless act of violence.

-Approx. 9:15 pm on Aug. 19, 2011, Smyrna Police responded to a shooting at Imperial Garden Apartments on 1 Imperial Blvd.
-Upon arrival, officers located 2 gunshot victims (one male/one female) and several witnesses. The victims were initially transported by paramedics to Stonecrest Medical Center and were later transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center. One victim was treated and released while the other victim was admitted overnight.
-Responding officers located a possible suspect in the nearby woods and he was taken into custody without incident. His name is Mark Jamal Metz (26) of Antioch and he is being charged with 3 counts of Attempted Murder. Metz's photo is attached.
-Officers located and collected 3 weapons believed to be connected to the incident.
-A witness discovered that he had been injured as well from a bullet fragment and that victim was transported to Stonecrest Medical Center as well. This victim was treated and released.
-Detectives believe two other suspects (black males) are currently at large and they should be considered armed and dangerous. These suspects may be driving a silver or gray small car, possibly a Nissan Sentra or Saturn. They may be wearing white shirts and dark-colored shorts and may be wearing a white ball cap or red or black bandana.
-A person of interest is a black male, wearing a white t-shirt and shorts with his hair pulled up on the rear of his head. He can be seen in the attached video from a surveillance camera.
-Anyone with information regarding this person of interest or this incident is asked to contact Detective Rick Hall of the Smyrna Police Department at (615) 267-5012.

WE NEED YOUR HELP LOCATING AN ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT

The scarf says the guy should go to jail for no fashion sense, but the crime of robbery is almost as bad. I wonder if he was covering a tattoo.

On July 30th, 2011 the Mapco convenience store (1218 Hazelwood Drive) was robbed. A white male entered the store and placed his hand in his pocket and told the clerk that he had a gun. He told the clerk to give him all money in the cash register. The clerk complied and the suspect left the store on foot.

The suspect is described as a white male, 5' 11" tall, 165-175 lbs, with brown, close cut hair and a goatee. He was wearing dark colored, knee length shorts, red undershirt, dark blue hooded sweatshirt, green bandana around his neck and large, dark frame eyeglasses. Any person with information regarding the identity of this suspect or more information about this robbery, is requested to contact Detective Allan Nabours of the Smyrna Police Department at (615) 267-5434.