LYNN HAVEN — A Bay County grand jury indicted three people Wednesday in the torture and murder of an elderly Lynn Haven man.

Grand jurors indicted David Ian Challender, 27, Ashley Nichole Griffin, 28, and Kevin Gene Jeffries, 28, of first-degree murder, armed burglary and armed robbery. According to Bay County Sheriff’s investigators, the three beat and strangled 90-year-old Wallace Scott in his Lynn Haven home on April 4.

Prosecutors will decide within the week whether the facts of the case meet the statutory requirements to pursue the death penalty, officials with the State Attorney’s Office wrote in a news release. All three are scheduled for arraignment May 28.

In an April news conference, BCSO investigators linked the slaying to two of Scott’s former caretakers. The day his body was discovered they were under suspicion of stealing and using Scott’s credit card and checkbook, officials said. Sherri Mercer and Deborah Cupp were charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and principal to fraudulent use of a credit card, respectively.

Mercer had endeared herself to Scott, and she was a beneficiary in his will, investigators said. Scott reported the fraudulent charges to BCSO investigators in March, and he had an appointment with an attorney to remove her from his will April 8.

Scott was killed April 4. He was beaten into submission and tied up in a bedroom in his house. The suspects allegedly hurt Scott to motivate him to tell them the personal identification numbersto his bank accounts, investigators said.

Challender is Mercer’s son, Jeffries is her nephew and Griffin is Jeffries’ girlfriend, officials said.

PANAMA CITY — Hundreds of deputies and civilians gathered to honor fallen law enforcement officers, recognize exceptional performances by current deputies and support staff and celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

The ceremony Wednesday morning at Tommy Oliver Stadium featured rituals common to law enforcement ceremonies: “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes, “Taps” on the bugle, and a 21-gun salute. A bell rang out for seven Bay County law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty as, on the far side of the football field, a member of the Warrior Watch Riders released a single balloon in their memory.

“I have never in my life met a more dedicated, profession, honorable group of people. There’s nothing that we ask them to do that they won’t do,” McKeithen said. “They have given everything except the ultimate price, and I hope we never have to call another name for that.”

Lynn Haven resident and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark McQueen spoke eloquently about the role of law enforcement officers in a community.

“Sadly crime still thrives, evil continues to lurk, and we regret that we see man’s inhumanity to man,” McQueen said. “Yet we do not come to hopelessness and despair. You see, we still have heroes among us.”

See a photo gallery

There were antique squad cars and biographical displays of Bay County’s 16 sheriffs. The BCSO put dozens of squad cars at midfield, surrounding the air unit. The office’s mobile command center was parked in one end zone, near a boat, a crime scene unit truck, a SWAT truck and a bomb squad truck.

“We are amazed at the arsenal and the technology that stands behind me, which typifies and stands as a testament to the sophistication and complexity of the mission set we have asked our Bay County Sheriff’s Office to do on our behalf,” McQueen said.

Afterward, there were refreshments for the folks who endured an hour-long ceremony under a relentless sun on aluminum bleachers, and anyone who wanted to step on the field and get an up-close look at the technology McQueen mentioned was invited to do so.

Awards

-Jail Ambassador of the Year: Darrell Byrd

-BCSO Ambassador of the Year: Becky Johns

-BCSO Ambassador of the Year: Sally Sparks

-Jail Volunteer of the Year: Virginia Noel

-BCSO Volunteer of the Year: Mike Gordy

-Telecommunicator of the Year: Chris Hall

-Jail Employee of the Year: Dave Hulsman

-BCSO Employee of the Year: Barbara Bell

-BCSO Employee of the Year: Tim Kurpa

-Detention Officer of the Year: Nick Gray

-BCSO Officer of the Year: Lt. Mitch Pitts

PANAMA CITY BEACH — An Ohio policeman and his wife were jailed early Thursday for felony child abuse after investigators alleged they left their children with a loaded gun in a truck parked outside a bar while they went inside to drink.

Staff at the Coyote Ugly Saloon on Front Beach Road became suspicious of Michael Webb and Staci Hall late Wednesday night and went out and checked their vehicle, where they found a toddler and an infant sleeping. Staff then called Panama City Beach Police, according to court records.

When officers arrived they found Webb, 35, and Hall, 29, sitting at the bar drinking “with no apparent view of their children.” When they went to the truck, the windows were only slightly cracked, and they found a 3-year-old and an 11-month-old sleeping in the backseat. Both were warm to the touch.

Police found a loaded .40-caliber Glock pistol with a round in the chamber in the driver’s side door where the children could have reached it. The gun was not secured in any case or holster.

Webb, a police officer with the Ross Township, Ohio, Police Department, and Hall were arrested about 12:30 a.m. after at least an hour at the bar. They were booked into the Bay County Jail on charges of felony child abuse. Bond for each is set at $500, according to jail staff.

The Department of Children and Family Services took custody of the children.

An earlier version of this story is posted below:

Panama City Beach police charged an Ohio police officer with aggravated child neglect early Thursday, according to a news release.

Investigators wrote that Michael A. Webb, 35, an officer with Ross Township and his companion, Staci D. Hall, 29, were both drinking at a bar on Front Beach Road just after midnight. While they were drinking the couple left two boys, ages three and 11-months alone and without supervision in their vehicle, the news release states.

Officers also discovered a loaded and unsecured handgun within reach of the 3-year-old and determined that the couple had left the children alone in the car for more than hour, officers said.

Webb and Hall were both charged with aggravated child neglect and the children were turned over to Florida's Department of Children and Family Services.

BONIFAY -- The Bonifay Police Department is participating in the annual Click It or Ticket campaign and will have several safety checkpoints within the city limits of Bonifay until June 3.

The checkpoints will be on State 79, U.S. 90, County 177A, County 1733, Oklahoma Street, McGee Street, Banfill Avenue, Caryville Road, Jenkins Boulevard, St. Johns Road, Hubbard Street, Weeks Street and Sandpath Road.

CALLAWAY — Following recommendations from Bay County Animal Control, Callaway’s Code Enforcement Board voted unanimously to classify a pit bull as dangerous at a public hearing Thursday.

Christina Gomez — the dog’s owner — opposed the decision, saying testimony was “overexaggerated” and the hearing was unfair.

“I don’t think she is any different than a tea cup Chihuahua,” Gomez said.

The 3-year-old grey and white pit bull — Lita — is currently impounded at the county’s animal shelter and classified as a dangerous dog.

Officials from Animal Control testified Lita had menaced at a woman with a baby located on public property in April and bitten a man on his lower calf in March. The investigation also revealed the dog leaving its property on North Kimbrel Avenue and chasing people nearby.

“She’s a dog,” Gomez pleaded with the board, insisting the dog was “protective” and had recently become pregnant, therefore more aggressive.

However, “if she wanted to bite them, she would have bit them,” she added.

The dog owner’s view was that the dog had shown signs of aggression, but should not be classified as dangerous. Gomez complained to the board that, though Lita has been cited on several occasions, she was unaware of her rights as a dog owner and no one made her aware of them.

“I think I should have been informed about what I could have done,” Gomez said.

Board members asked her questions about why no one else was present to testify on the dog’s behalf and why had the dog not been spayed.

“I don’t know,” she responded.

In order for the Gomez family to keep Lita, they will have to obtain a special permit. But in order to do so, they’ll have to provide proof of $100,000 worth of coverage for bodily injury or death of any person or damage, which may be in the form of insurance or a surety bond with the county Clerk of Courts office.

Other provisions include providing a secure enclosure for the dog with a warning sign at all entry points and making sure no one lives within 100 feet of where Lita is kept.

By state law, Lita could be given away, but under the classification of dangerous dog with the same set of restrictions.

If Lita’s owners do not obtain the dangerous dog permit, Lita will be euthanized.

“She had ample opportunity from December 2011 until today (to find a solution),” said board member Janene Melvin. “… I am a dog owner; I love dogs. My heart goes out to her, but under the circumstances — the dog will eventually turn against her children.”

PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Panama City Beach Police arrested a woman at Laketown Wharf condominium Thursday night after getting reports that 9mm handgun ammunition had been thrown off a balcony and discharged when hitting the concrete.

Arrested was Alana Jo Mayfield on a charge of resisting an officer without violence by knowingly and willfully hindering a lawful investigation.

Witnesses told police that objects were being thrown off the balcony, including the ammo. When the bullets hit concrete, one discharged and struck a bystander, who was not injured, police said.

Police questioned Mayfield in the room from where the items were tossed. She told him her boyfriend had thrown the items, however, officers discovered the boyfriend was not present at the time.

BLOUNTSTOWN — A 4-year-old girl and her grandfather are believed to have died in an accidental drowning in the Apalachicola River Thursday, according the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Family members of Donald Jacobs and Alayha Jacobs contacted the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office around 7:45 p.m. Thursday when they grew worried that the pair had not returned to the Bristol Landing after a fishing outing. Deputies began a search and found Donald Jacobs’ fishing boat tied to his houseboat with fishing lines still in the water.

A short time later, a boater found the body of 4-year-old Alayha Jacobs in the water south of the houseboat. The body of Donald Jacobs had not been recovered as of noon on Friday.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has taken over the search and the investigation. There is no evidence of foul play, and investigators believe the two died as a result of an accidental drowning.

PANAMA CITY -- Panama City Police are investigating a series of vehicle burglaries that have occurred throughout Panama City and surrounding areas.

Police said Friday in a news release the crimes are occurring at different times of the day and night and at various locations, mainly in business parking lots. The suspects are breaking out the windows of the vehicles to quickly enter and steal personal property and electronic items that are left in plain view within the vehicles.

Some personal items such as purses have been recovered in trash dumpsters, however, credit cards, cash, checks and personal identification were not recovered with the property.

Some of the stolen credit cards taken were fraudulently used at Gas Mart, located at Bus. Hwy. 98 and East Avenue. Other victims’ personal information and credit cards have been since used throughout Florida in various locations. The series of burglaries began on or about May 14 and have s6poradically continued through Friday. To date, there are an estimated 20 or more victims and vehicles burglarized in Panama City and surrounding areas.

PANAMA CITY — Don’t forget to buckle up.

Local law enforcement agencies and the Florida Highway Patrol are taking part in the 2013 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign that runs through June 2. Anyone — driver or passenger — not using a seat belt runs the risk of getting a ticket.

The Panama City Beach Police Department has conducted three surveys so far to see how many people wear seat belts, PCBPD Lt. Richard McClanahan said. At the two intersections where the survey was conducted, 90 percent were wearing seat belts, and the third survey showed 78 percent were buckled up, McClanahan said.

PCBPD is not having special safety checkpoints but will follow normal routines. Several signs have been put up to make drivers aware of the seat belt enforcement campaign, McClanahan said.

“All we want is the public to be safe,” he said. The PCBPD also wants to educate the public, he added.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Panama City Police Department, also participate in the campaign, along with other area law enforcement agencies.

“We do have increased patrols out this weekend,” PCPD Lt. Robert Luther said.

The focus will not only be on seat belt enforcement, but on the overall safety of the public, he said, such as preventing drunk driving.

Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to help prevent injuries in the event of a traffic accident, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

Florida’s primary safety belt law requires drivers and passengers to fasten their seat belts. FHP encourages people to buckle up every time they get in their vehicle and to make sure all passengers also are buckled up.

“Seat belts have saved thousands of lives and are one of the most effective safety tools in your vehicle,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Control.

You can help

To increase awareness of the importance of wearing a seat belt to future drivers, the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is inviting Florida middle school students to submit suggestions for a new seat belt poster and calendar for 2014. The contest encourages students to submit ideas that will motivate others to wear their seat belt. More information can be found by clicking on Seat Belt Poster Contest at www.flhsmv.gov.

MARIANNA — A circuit judge on Friday denied state Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request to exhume graves at Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, a closed reform school.

The ruling by Judge William Wright said there was a lack of evidence to support the request.

“The petition … is denied because if an order is required, there has been no threshold showing of the anticipated evidence necessary in a civil case,” the judge wrote in his summary. “The medical examiner has statutory authority to conduct investigations, and the state attorney has the authority to pursue autopsies when necessary. There are current Florida laws in place on handling unmarked graves and moving buried human remains.”

Judge Wright ended his ruling by advising Florida officials to proceed with caution and “pay heed” to another judge’s words in an unrelated case: “The quiet of the grave, the repose of the dead, are not lightly to be disturbed. Good and substantial reasons must be shown before disinterment is to be sanctioned.”

Following the ruling, Bondi said she would consider what to do next.

“I remain committed to assisting with the efforts to help resolve unanswered questions regarding deaths at the Dozier School for Boys. In light of today’s adverse ruling, we will be meeting with the interested parties and considering the next course of action to explore other avenues.”

Some people believe the graves may hold evidence of past crimes.

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal investigation in 2009 was unable to substantiate or refute claims by former students of physical and sexual abuse, including deaths, that allegedly occurred decades ago. The school opened in Marianna in 1900 and was closed last year as a cost-cutting move.

Earlier this year, University of South Florida anthropologists released a report indicating they had documented the deaths of two staffers and 96 children. They also said they found 50 gravesites on the grounds.

PANAMA CITY — A motorcyclist was killed late Friday night when he was hit by a car that fled from the scene, the Panama City Police Department said.

Police identified the victim as Ethan Tyler Casey, 21, a local resident.

The suspect left the scene in a Camaro, which was found at a residence in Panama City Beach Saturday night. No suspect had been identified or arrested.

The crash occurred Friday at about 10:15 p.m. in the westbound lanes of U.S. 98 near the intersection of Harrison Avenue.

Police said the driver of the motorcycle exited the parking lot of Bingo Paradise, turning west onto the highway in front of oncoming traffic. A vehicle described as a gray Camaro was westbound on U.S. 98 approaching Harrison Avenue and struck the motorcycle, police said.

The Camaro fled the scene westbound, turning north on Harrison Avenue and then possibly north onto U.S. 231. The Camaro that fled the scene is believed to be a late 1990s or early 2000 model, and should have front end and passenger side damage.

The driver of the motorcycle was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. He did not survive.

Anyone with any information in reference to this crash should contact Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100, or report tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS.

An earlier version of this story is posted below:

PANAMA CITY —The Panama City Police Department is investigating a hit and run traffic crash that involves the death of a motorcycle driver Friday night.

Police identified the victim as Ethan Tyler Casey, 21, a local resident.

The crash occurred Friday at about 10:15 p.m. in the westbound lanes of U.S. 98 near the intersection of Harrison Avenue.

The investigation revealed the driver of the motorcycle exited the parking lot of Bingo Paradise, turning west onto the highway in front of oncoming traffic. A vehicle described as a gray Camaro was west bound on U.S. 98 approaching Harrison Avenue and struck the motorcycle, police said.

The Camaro fled the scene westbound, turning north on Harrison Avenue and then possibly north onto U.S. 231. The Camaro that fled the scene is believed to be a late 1990s or early 2000 model, and should have front end and passenger side damage.

The driver of the motorcycle was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with critical life threatening injuries. He did not survive.

Anyone with any information in reference to this crash should contact Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100, or you can report your tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS.

BLOUNTSTOWN — Authorities say a second drowning victim has been found in the Apalachicola River.

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office says the family of Eugene Jacobs and his granddaughter Alayha Jacobs contacted authorities Thursday evening when the pair failed to return from a fishing trip.

Deputies found Eugene Jacobs' fishing boat tied to his houseboat with fishing lines still in the water.

A boater found the girl's body soon after. The grandfather's body was found Friday.

The sheriff's office says the deaths appear to be accidental and there is no evidence of foul play.

PANAMA CITY —  Two men were arrested in connection with recent vehicle burglaries in Panama City and surrounding areas Friday night.

Lakane T. Brown, 18, and Ervin J. Brown, 26, were indentified and detained by patrolling Panama City Police officers in the parking lot of Glen Cove Nursing Center around midnight Friday.

Citizens had called the police around 10:30 p.m. on Friday after seeing a suspicious red Dodge Neon exit the parking lot of Sterling House, a local nursing facility, Panama City Police said in a press release.

Through the investigation, identification of the suspects, and evidence collected, detectives were able to obtain and serve a search warrant at a residence on Main Avenue in Panama City, where one of the suspects lives.

Detectives were able to recover property from the search belonging to numerous burglary victims.

The investigation showed the suspects recently traveled from Alabama to Panama City, and they were burglarizing vehicles along the way until they were detained, police said.

Both suspects are charged with 10 counts of burglary and one count of armed burglary. The suspects were booked into the Bay County jail.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges will be filled, police said. Surrounding law enforcement agencies may also have additional criminal charges in reference to the arrests.

Detectives are identifying and sorting property that was recovered and will contact victims for identification of the reported stolen items.

Contact the Panama City Police Department at 872-3100 with any information in reference to these crimes.

PANAMA CITY— Investigators say a local woman fled the scene of a fatal crash and then removed parts of her vehicle to conceal her identity from the police.

Ida Renee Cardwell, 34, of Panama City Beach, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with evidence, according to an arrest affidavit filed by the Panama City Police Department.

Police reports state Cardwell was driving a gray Camaro at about 10:15 p.m. Friday in the westbound lane of U.S. 98 near Harrison Avenue when the vehicle struck the back of a motorcycle that was headed westbound as well. The driver of the motorcycle, 21-year-old Ethan Tyler Casey, a local resident, was killed in the wreck, police said.

After Cardwell fled the scene, police wrote, she went to her Panama City Beach residence, removed parts from her vehicle and placed them in a trash bin near her home. Investigators added she placed other parts from the vehicle in her trash can, under other trash, in an attempt to have the evidence removed with the trash collection.

Cardwell was arrested Monday morning and placed in the Bay County Jail. Her boyfriend, Anthony Michale Cristofaro II, 27, was arrested at the same time and charged with providing false information to law enforcement during an investigation, police wrote. 

Cristofaro was located at a residence that he shares with his mother on Hickory Avenue in Panama City. According to an arrest affidavit, Cristofaro repeatedly lied to investigators about Cardwell's location. However, his mother gave police permission to search her RV, where they found Cardwell. The affidavit says after Cardwell was found, Cristofaro admitted he knew she was in the RV.

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys won't be able to mention Trayvon Martin's drug use, suspension from school and past fighting during opening statements in the trial for the neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot the teen, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson also refused to allow jurors to travel to the shooting scene during trial, and rejected a defense request to delay the trial set to begin June 10.

The judge called the request to let jurors see the crime scene "a logistical nightmare."

George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the 17-year-old's killing and has pleaded not guilty, saying he acted in self-defense. He did not attend Tuesday's hearing.

The judge also ruled that some of the Martin's texts and other social media statements won't be allowed in opening statements, though some of the teen's personal history could be allowed later with a ruling from the judge depending on how the case progresses.

Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, told the judge that Martin's marijuana use and past fighting was central to the argument that Zimmerman used self-defense when he confronted Martin last year at a gated community in Sanford, Fla.

"We have a lot of evidence that marijuana use had something to do with the event," O'Mara said. "It could have affected his behavior."

An attorney for Martin's family, Benjamin Crump, said the teen's parents were pleased with the judge's rulings.

"Trayvon Martin is not on trial," Crump said.

The judge ruled against a defense request that the pool of jury candidates be sequestered during jury selection. She said jurors will be referred to by their jury numbers and prohibited their faces from being photographed. Nelson denied a prosecution request for a gag order that would prohibit attorneys from talking about the case.

O'Mara said he is concerned potential jurors could be affected by publicity the case is receiving.

The defense attorney had asked to push back the trial date because he said prosecutors had delayed turning over evidence as required. O'Mara is seeking sanctions against prosecutors, but a hearing on those sanctions was delayed until next week.

Before the judge decided to postpone the hearing on sanctions, a former prosecutor who used to work in the same office as the attorneys prosecuting Zimmerman testified he had told O'Mara about photos and text messages from Martin's cell phone that hadn't yet been turned over to the defense. Former Assistant State Attorney Wesley White resigned last year from the State Attorney's Office that covers northeast Florida.

CALLAWAY -- Deputies have arrested a suspect in two armed robberies last week at the same store, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Robert Ne’Well Bowen, 22, is charged with two counts of kidnapping and five counts of robbery with a firearm for allegedly robbing the Beeline on Cherry Street and its customers on May 20 and May 24.

Investigators believe Bowen wore a ski mask and brandished a BB gun that resembled a handgun during each robbery. In both robberies, which were captured on the store’s surveillance cameras, a suspect demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint and from customers in the store.

In the second robbery, surveillance cameras at a nearby apartment complex captured images of the suspect’s vehicle, which led investigators to Bowen.

Bowen was found with items matching those reported stolen from the Beeline, and witnesses told investigators he had left his residence at the time of the robberies and was unaccounted for.

APALACHICOLA — Two South Carolina men died in a plane crash Monday evening after taking off from Apalachicola Regional Airport.

According to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), 58-year-old Anthony Caveza and 71-year-old Julius “Gil” Gilreath, both of Greenville, S.C., were killed in the crash.

Apalachicola airport employee Arthur “Perky” White said Gilreath drove himself to Cleve Randolph Field in a borrowed blue Toyota, which was still parked there Tuesday morning. He and Gilreath discussed fishing while waiting for Gilreath’s flight to arrive. White believes Gilreath was in the area on a fishing trip.

White said the single-engine Piper 32 was number four of seven planes that refueled at the airport Monday. He said the airport immediately ceased selling fuel after learning of the accident.

“That’s just a precaution,” White said. “It’s the first thing we do in case the crash is fuel-related.”

White said the other six planes serviced have arrived safely at their destinations.

FAA records say the plane was registered to FLEBO Air LLC of Greenville, N.C. Caveza listed his occupation as commercial pilot on several Internet networking sites. The plane was en route to the Greenville Downtown Airport.

Joe Frasher, manager of the Greenville airport, where many corporate jets land and take off, told reporters Caveza had a reputation as a good pilot.

“I don’t know what happened,” Frasher said Tuesday, “But, it had to be catastrophic.”

Gilreath was a Greenville-based designer and builder, primarily of medical offices and facilities. A well-known philanthropist within his community, he established the Gilreath Foundation with his wife, Parry.

A posting on the website of the Aviation Safety Network said the small plane crashed in Warner Robins, Ga., around 6:40 p.m.EDT following an in-flight emergency transmission. A post-crash fire ensued, and the two occupants on board received fatal injuries.

BibbCounty (Ga.) Coroner Leon Jones said the crash site near the runways at Robins Air Force Base and Middle Georgia Regional Airport was a dense swamp area, and snakes, mosquitoes and other potential hazards were a hindrance to the recovery of the wreckage.

Around 8:30 p.m., the Georgia Forestry Commission brought in a bulldozer to help cut a path to the plane. The Air Force base dispatched a large crash truck, and a Houston County light truck was brought in to illuminate the woods after sunset.

Houston County Fire Department, Macon-Bibb Fire Department, Bibb County Sherriff’s Office, Macon Police Department, Robins Air Force Base and Georgia State Patrol all responded at the scene.

An earlier version of this story is posted below:

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Two men were killed in the crash of a single-engine plane that took off from Apalachicola, authorities said.

The crash happened Monday night in the Warner Robins area, The Telegraph newspaper in Macon reported. Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said the bodies were recovered shortly before 9 p.m. Monday.

The men, who are believed to be residents of Greenville, S.C., were flying in a Piper PA-32 aircraft when it went down, authorities said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the plane crashed about one mile northeast of Robins Air Force Base at 6:05 p.m.

Bergen said the flight had departed with two people on board from Apalachicola Municipal Airport and was headed for Greenville Downtown Airport in Greenville, S.C.

The crash site was in a swampy area near the Houston-Bibb County line, about 500 yards off Georgia Highway 247. The rugged terrain made for difficult conditions as emergency responders attempted to reach the plane.

"It's treacherous out there," Jones said. "It's rough. It's logs. It's trees. It's very dangerous going out there."

Houston County firefighters were the first on the scene and two units fought through the murky ground and swamp where mosquitoes and other bugs were swarming.

The Houston County crews were able to confirm that no one on board the plane survived the impact, Jones said.

Robins Air Force Base dispatched a large crash truck, and a Houston County light truck was brought in to illuminate the woods as the sun was beginning to set.

The recovery effort in the dense brush and clear-cut trees grew more complicated after snakes were spotted in the boggy terrain, Jones said.

Just before 8:30 p.m., a bulldozer arrived from the Georgia Forestry Commission to cut a path through the woods so crews could get the necessary equipment to the crash site and remove the bodies

PANAMA CITY — Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against two men suspected in the robbery and slaying of a 90-year-old Lynn Haven man, according to court records.

Ashley Griffin and Kevin Jeffries, both 28 and from Hartford, Ala., and 27-year-old David Challender of Vernon were arrested in April after an investigation and manhunt that spanned three states. They were indicted last week for first-degree murder, and prosecutors have filed notices of intent to seek the death penalty against Jeffries and Challender.

Prosecutor Larry Basford said in court filings Scott’s killing was “cold, calculated and premeditated,” and it was “especially heinous, atrocious and cruel.” Those phrases are lifted directly from the Florida law establishing what the state must prove before a death sentence can be imposed.

More than 20 law enforcement agencies were involved in the apprehension of the people suspected of killing Wallace Scott, but in a letter from the Bay County Jail to the judge hearing her case, Griffin says she’s been set up by her ex-boyfriend and takes credit for his capture.

“The day I voluntarily came to meet the investigators, I did everything in my power to help them catch these 2 killers and I succeeded [sic],” Griffin wrote to Judge Brantley Clark. “I caught the killers.”

After the arrests, BCSO officials said the suspects entered Scott’s home with the intent of getting information that would allow them access to his bank accounts. Scott was bound and beaten when he refused to provide personal identification numbers. Officials said there was evidence of torture.

BCSO officials said at the time the arrests were the result of “the most intensive investigation in recent memory.” Griffin’s role in the investigation is not clear.

According to a BCSO timeline of the investigation, she was located in Donalsonville, Ga., on April 13, nine days after Scott was killed, and brought back to Bay County. Investigators developed her, Jeffries and Challender as suspects the day before.

Jeffries and Challender were arrested later the same day; Jeffries was in Holmes County and Challender was in Caryville. Deputies had reason to believe the two men had made statements to the effect they would not be taken alive, and guns were stolen from Scott’s home.

All three individuals were in possession of property taken from Scott’s home when they were arrested, investigators said. Griffin, who signed her letter to Clark “Ashley Griffin aka Angel,” was wearing a ring that belonged to Scott.

Sherri Mercer and Deborah Cupp, two women Scott employed as caretakers, were arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud for allegedly using Scott’s credit cards without authorization. Challender is Mercer’s son and Jeffries is her nephew.

Investigators said Scott learned of the fraud and had an appointment to remove Mercer as a beneficiary in his will April 8. She has been cleared of suspicion of being in the house at the time of the killing.

PANAMA CITY -- A man serving 10 years for burglary will serve 10 years more after pleading no contest Tuesday morning to several business and boat burglaries.

Judge James Fensom sentenced Clifford Washburn Jr. to 10 years in prison in accordance with a plea agreement. He ordered the sentence served consecutive with the 10 years Washburn is already serving.

Washburn, 42, of Panama City Beach, was convicted at trial last November of burglarizing Shuckums Oyster Bar and Seafood Grill, where police caught him in the act after he tripped an alarm.

Tuesday morning, as attorneys were preparing to select a jury for his trial, Washburn pleaded no contest to six counts of burglary of a structure or conveyance, four counts of grand theft and one count each of felony criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools.