Crime

New domestic violence prosecutor hired in Tipton County

Submitted by Justin Hanson, West Tennessee Reporter

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010, 8:52am

In July, 2009, the Office of the District Attorney General was the recipient of a federal grant from the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) in the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, for the creation of a Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit in the 25th Judicial District.

The grant award was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and provides for a Domestic Violence Prosecutor position, which was previously held by Assistant District Attorney General Katie Walsh.

District Attorney General Mike Dunavant is pleased to announce the hiring and appointment of Genna M. Lutz as a new Assistant District Attorney General who will serve as the Domestic Violence Prosecutor in Tipton County.

On Tuesday, August 31, 2010, General Lutz was sworn into office by The Honorable Joseph H.

Left to right: Judge Joseph Walker, Genna Lutz, DA Mike Dunavant

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Deputies bust meth lab at church campground

Submitted by Justin Hanson, West Tennessee Reporter

Monday, August 30th, 2010, 8:01pm

On August 29th 2010 at about 11:15 PM, Tipton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to investigate a report of suspicious activity at the Rose of Sharon Campground located at 2 Glory Circle in Burlison, TN.

Deputies began a search of the area and detained three individuals and discovered an active “shake and bake” methamphetamine lab in a field on the property.

While deputies were searching the area a deputy opened a bag and was exposed to a cloud of chemical vapors.

The Covington Fire Department Hazmat Unit responded for decontamination treatment of the deputy and indiv

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New charges filed against Tennessee State Trooper

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010, 6:49pm

By Ben Watson - bio | email

COVINGTON, TN (WMC-TV) - Child abuse charges against a Tennessee State Trooper were dropped Wednesday, even as new charges were filed against him.

Trooper Marvin Norfolk is accused of hitting his nine-year-old son. Just minutes before Norfolk was scheduled to appear at the Tipton County Courthouse Wednesday on child abuse charges, District Attorney Mike Dunavant dropped those charges.

Dunavant then filed new charges of domestic assault in the case.

"I understand that it had been 'nolle prosequi,' which means that the charges have been dismissed without prejudice," said Donna Turner, Deputy Chief of the Tipton County Sheriff's Department.

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Deputies injured after finding meth lab in Munford home

Submitted by Justin Hanson, West Tennessee Reporter

Friday, August 20th, 2010, 7:18am

On Wednesday, Tipton County Sheriff’s Office narcotic investigators executed a search warrant at 131 Laurel Lane in Munford, TN after an undercover drug investigation.

Investigators were assisted during the detail by the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, Detectives, K9 and the Munford Police Department.

During the execution of the warrant, SWAT members entered the residence and during a search, located 21-year-old Justin William Sanders in a bedroom.

Deputies say there was an active methamphetamine lab in the process of cooking.

Swat members immediately evacuated Sanders and a dog located in the residence.

Covington Fire Department and Munford Fire Department HazMat Units responded to assist at the residence with decontaminating SWAT members, Sanders and the dog.

Rural Metro responded for immediate treatment to everyone at the residence that was exposed to the deadly chemical fumes.

The DEA

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Juveniles arrested, charged in rash of burglaries

Submitted by Brittney Goo on Wednesday, July 14th, 2:24 pm

Two juveniles have been arrested and charged for a series of vehicle burglaries and one residence theft that took place in early July.

Tipton County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to four complaints of overnight vehicle burglaries in the Gin House Lake Road area on July 8. They received a tip of a possible suspect in the case while they collected initial information.

While deputies responded to a residence on Gin House Lake Road, they found several stolen items in a nearby shed matching the descriptions of the stolen items involved in the burglaries. Detectives responded and assisted the deputies in recovering the items.

Detectives later determined there had been 15 vehicle burglaries and one theft from a home. Most of the burglaries were unreported at the beginning of their investigation. The victims in the cases included five residences on Gin House Lake Road and four residences on Beaver Road, Woodlawn Cove and Boswell Lane in Munford.

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Starr Harris' murder suspect back in court Tuesday

Submitted by Justin Hanson, West Tennessee Reporter

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010, 7:06am

The Tipton County man charged with the brutal murder of a Mid-South mom turned down an offer for a court appointed attorney.

Rickey Bell's court appearance was done through a special video hook up.

Bell was in the Tipton county jail's library and Judge William Peeler was in the court's video monitoring area.

"Rickey I had set you for a report today to advise the court as to whether or not you have hired an attorney... And have you...?" Peeler asks.

Bell said that he was still trying to hire and attorney.

He asked the judge for two more weeks to hire an attorney.

Judge Peeler gave him a stern warning.

"Now again I'll caution you that this is such a serious case I would recommend that you will allow the court to go ahead and appoint an attorney for you...

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Greenhouse vandalism concerns nationally known rose grower

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010, 3:03am

By Justin Hanson - bio | email

BRIGHTON, TN (WMC-TV) - A Brighton man known all around the country for his roses is now worried about next year's crop, after vandals recently hit his greenhouse.

Whit Wells has been growing roses for over seventy years. He grows all varieties, including Rocky Top and Memphis Blues. But vandals hit Wells' greenhouse two weeks, ago leaving a thorn in his side.

"I don't know if they were doing it for meanness or thought I was growing marijuana in there," he said.

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