LYNN HAVEN — Police have arrested a Southport man who allegedly held up a woman at gunpoint in the Wal-Mart parking lot, according to a Lynn Haven Police Department press release.

Timothy Blake Keller, 56, was identified by several callers to LHPD as a suspect pictured from an armed robbery around noon Tuesday. His last known address was in the Southport area but he is listed as a transient.

The female victim told police she was loading groceries into her vehicle on the south side of the parking lot when she was approached by a white male who pointed a gun at her and demanded cash. After she gave him all her available money, the man demanded she take him to the bank where she was ordered to withdraw more, LHPD reported.

The suspect then drove her back to Wal-Mart where he left her in her vehicle, police said.

LHPD believes the suspect got into an older model, red, compact two-door truck.

The Lynn Haven Police Department obtained arrest warrants for Keller for armed robbery, armed carjacking and kidnapping. A Bay County Sheriff’s Deputy observed Keller operating his 2001 Buick in the area of North Lagoon Drive and Joan Avenue and took him in to custody without incident.

Keller has been transported to the Bay County jail and will undergo a first appearance on Thursday.

GADSDEN, Ala. — An Anniston man was arrested and charged with burglary in Etowah County, according to a news release from Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin.

Joseph Branon Buckelew, 38, was charged with one count of second-degree burglary, which is a felony, Investigator Seth Williamson said.

Buckelew was found Saturday morning inside a residence on Smith Chapel Road, Boaz. The elderly resident woke up about 7 a.m. to find Buckelew, dressed only in his underwear, lying in the living room floor. He made his way into the home by forcing open the front door. Several items inside the residence were damaged by Buckelew before he passed out in the floor.

--- "IN DOG WE TRUST" RUG SELLS AT AUCTION»»

After Buckelew was startled by the resident, he ran from the home. The resident sought help from a neighbor, who pursued Buckelew with a golf club, according to the release. He was taken into custody a short distance down the road by Sardis Police Chief James Harp and Etowah County Deputy Kip Williams.

Deputies had responded to the Smith Chapel area much earlier Saturday morning to a report of an intoxicated person near the roadway, but were unable to find the person.

Authorities believe Buckelew was the individual who prompted the call.

Buckelew is in the Etowah County Detention Center on $5,000 bond.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A Southport man on Thursday pleaded guilty to robbing the same Dothan bank twice within a year.

James Daniel Toothman entered the plea in Montgomery federal court. Toothman admitted to robbing a Regions bank branch in January and December of 2011.

Authorities have said 44-year-old Toothman passed a note to a bank teller demanding money but was not armed during either robbery.

Florida state troopers told the Dothan Eagle in 2011 that Toothman led them on high speed chase after the second robbery before crashing his car.

Defense lawyer Stephen Ganter said Toothman suffered a brain injury during from the crash. A judge this summer found that Toothman was competent to stand trial. A federal judge will sentence Toothman later.

PARKER — Authorities have arrested a Parker man wanted in connection with a sexual battery and false imprisonment incident, among others, the Parker Police Department announced.

Daltonica Wilson was arrested Thursday in Liberty County by U.S. Marshals and deputies with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. The Parker Police Department sought Wilson for several violent domestic crimes that occurred in Parker, officials said.

Wilson was wanted in Parker for sexual battery, battery by strangulation, felony battery-domestic violence and false imprisonment. He also is wanted by the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office on burglary and firearms charges. Wilson was caught by U.S. Marshals after Parker Police learned he was preparing to flee the area.

Wilson is being held without bond in Liberty County pending his extradition to either Bay or Gadsden County.

PANAMA CITY — A Kentucky teen accused of a multistate crime spree of stolen cars and forged checks has left Bay County to face charges in his home state, according to jail officials.

Dalton Hayes left Bay County on Thursday with less commotion than when he arrived and was taken into custody Saturday. Kentucky authorities began extraditing the 18-year-old at about 6 a.m. to his home state of Kentucky to face several charges in connection with a series of vehicle thefts and pilfered checks through several Southern states.

According to Grayson County, Kentucky, Sheriff Norman Chaffins, Hayes will face at least burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief charges.

--- DOCUMENT: ARREST REPORT»»

Hayes, who already was wanted on burglary and theft charges from December, and 13-year-old Cheyenne Phillips allegedly set out on their multistate crime spree Jan. 3. He said Phillips wanted to escape an abusive family member and instigated the trip. However, the couple was arrested Saturday night behind an International House of Pancakes in Panama City Beach.

“She didn’t want to go home because she was getting beat on,” Hayes said during a jailhouse interview with The News Herald on Monday. “Now she got me in a bind. I’m looking at years in prison for all I did for her.”

The Kentucky couple allegedly ditched cars and stole replacements in Kentucky, South Carolina and Georgia — evading arrest all the while — before arriving in Panama City Beach. Hayes said the two got lost looking for an interstate leading to Miami.

According to family members, the couple allegedly plowed through a Kentucky cattle farm in a stolen vehicle at the start of their journey. A tire blew out, and the couple slept in a frigid barn for the night, Hayes said. Police said the teens then stole a red 2006 Toyota Tacoma that had a firearm inside and fled the state. Hayes and his girlfriend were later spotted in South Carolina and then Georgia, where, on Jan. 14, the 2006 Tacoma was recovered and a silver 2001 Tacoma was reported stolen, police said.

The couple’s capture began about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when authorities descended on the stolen Tacoma, according to PCBPD records. Hayes and Phillips were sleeping inside the truck, which was parked behind IHOP at Pier Park, police reported. In addition to the Kentucky charges Hayes faces, the teens also could face forgery charges in South Carolina. Hayes waived his right to an extradition hearing.

Though Hayes has said he was unaware of Phillips’ young age up until their exodus — stating that she had forged identification — it is unclear whether he will face molestation charges.

Cheyenne Phillips’ father, Shawn Phillips, told the Associated Press that Hayes’ abuse allegations are “completely bogus.”

PANAMA CITY — A former Bay County Jail officer who had sex with multiple inmates has been sentenced to five years probation, according to Bay County Court records.

Pedro Reyes, 48 was arrested in November 2013 on charges of sexual misconduct and admitted to having sex with at least two female inmates. Reyes, a detention corporal employed by the jail since 2008, was fired; and months later prosecutors upgraded charges against him to sexual battery. However, Reyes pleaded no contest to one count of sexual misconduct between and inmate and detention employee Thursday and was sentenced to five years probation.

When Reyes was arrested, investigators said they were looking into whether he had sex with any other inmates. According to investigators’ reports, he admitted to having sex with at least two other women, one of whom denied it. Officers were unable to contact the other. A fourth woman told investigators she had consensual sex with Reyes.

An investigative report released in February indicated that one victim felt forced to have sex with Reyes because he was in a position of authority over her. Reyes was not accused of using physical force in the course of the alleged crime.

The victim told investigators she felt threatened by Reyes, but she came forward after hearing that he had been having sex with other inmates.

She said Reyes had sexual contact with her on three occasions in a closet in the laundry at the jail. She told investigators that on one of the occasions, she spit semen onto the shirt she was wearing so she would have DNA evidence against him.

Investigators took custody of the shirt and submitted it to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for DNA analysis. Reyes’ DNA matched the DNA on the shirt, according to a lab report included in the investigative report.

PANAMA CITY — Police are investigating a crash at Frankford Avenue and 11th Street where a mother was struck by vehicle while pushing her child in a stroller.

Panama City Police were releasing little details of the incident Thursday night. However, officers on scene said the child was favoring one arm but was otherwise OK, police reported.

The crash occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Police and EMS crews responded to the intersection of Frankford Avenue and 11th Street to a call of a vehicle versus pedestrian with a stroller.

The mother was rushed to a local hospital with unknown injuries as first responders sprayed blood off the roadway with water hoses. Officers on scene said the details of the crash were currently under investigation, but the driver had not been arrested or charged with a crime at the time.

The make and model of the car also were not released.

More details of the crash will be reported as they become available.

LEITCHFIELD, Ky. (AP) — One of two teenagers suspected in a multistate crime spree of stolen vehicles and pilfered checks has returned to Kentucky to face several charges including statutory rape.

Local news outlets report 18-year-old Dalton Hayes was crying during his arraignment Thursday afternoon at the Grayson County courthouse. He pleaded not guilty to charges that included statutory rape, custodial interference, criminal mischief, trespassing, theft and burglary. In addition, he was appointed a public defender and given a $250,000 cash bond.

Hayes was arrested in Panama City Beach on Saturday, two weeks after he disappeared with his 13-year-old girlfriend.

Authorities say they suspect the two of stealing vehicles and writing stolen checks while they were on the run. The girl is expected to face charges in juvenile court

LYNN HAVEN — Police have arrested a Lynn Haven man on a charge of video voyeurism for allegedly filming a nude underage girl from outside her bedroom window, the Lynn Haven Police Department announced Friday.

Bobby Louis Mayes, 40, has been charged with video voyeurism. The investigation started when Lynn Haven Police where advised that Mayes had shown photographs on his cellular phone of a nude juvenile female that appeared to be asleep to numerous friends and co-workers, officers reported.

Investigators were able to identify the juvenile female and learned the photos Mayes disseminated were taken from outside her bedroom window while she was asleep without her consent or knowledge, police said.

Mayes, of 1503 New Jersey Ave., was arrested Friday and transported to the Bay County jail.

PANAMA CITY — A woman with ties to a Panama City Beach drug deal turned deadly has agreed to testify during the accused shooter’s trial next week, according to Bay County court documents.

Alyssa Watford, 18, pleaded no contest to conspiring to rob 20-year-old Ryan Brooks for about 2 ounces of marijuana in July before gunfire broke out, ending Brooks’ life. In exchange for testifying truthfully during the trial of 24-year-old Randy Jackson, who has been identified as the triggerman, Watford could receive four years of drug offender probation.

Jury selection for Jackson’s manslaughter trial is scheduled to begin Monday. He also faces charges of attempted robbery with a firearm,  felony possession of a firearm, third-degree felony murder with a firearm and attempted sale of cannabis.

Watford was one of six suspects arrested in connection with the shooting and the fourth to agree to testify against Jackson. Joshua Heath Smith, 23, already agreed to tell jurors how he and Jackson allegedly armed themselves and formulated the robbery plot.

Three survivors of the July 10 shooting at the Club Apartments, at 325 Richard Jackson Blvd., allegedly tried to cover their tracks and were arrested, according to police records.

Joseph Cannizzo, 26, initially portrayed himself as a witness when police arrived at about 1 a.m. to find Brooks face down on the asphalt with multiple gunshot wounds. Cannizzo said he pulled into the apartments shortly after the gunfire. He saw a white Kia Forte speed away and a person running into the woods north of the lot before flagging down a taxi to call 911, he told police.

However, that isn’t how Smith has sworn the shooting transpired.

Cannizzo and Brooks allegedly waited in a green SUV in the Club parking lot for Smith to conduct the deal for about 2 ounces of marijuana. Smith’s girlfriend, Watford, previously had dated Brooks and arranged the transaction between the two, according to Smith’s sworn testimony.

Smith and Jackson allegedly discussed beforehand how they would show up armed and get the drop on Brooks, Smith said, but they didn’t anticipate the people they planned to ambush also would be aiming to rob them, according to officials.

Jackson waited behind in the deeply tinted Kia Forte as Smith brought the money into Brooks’ green SUV. Cannizzo allegedly drew a gun on Smith — ordering Smith to drop his pants, where his gun was stored. Brooks then stepped out and walked over to search the Kia, Smith said.

Neither Brooks nor Cannizzo knew Jackson was in the car, Smith said, until several flashes lit the interior and gunfire roared from within.

Smith fled on foot through the woods as Cannizzo ran over to his injured friend, firing on the Kia as it sped off, police reported. Brooks would die face down on the asphalt shortly thereafter as helicopters began circling in the night sky and authorities started piecing together the brutal crime scene.

Most of the people involved before and after the shooting have agreed to testify.

Clinton Robert Allen, 34, who accepted the alleged murder weapon from Jackson, has pleaded and received four years of probation in exchange for testifying truthfully in the case. Nichole Philbrook, 26, has pleaded and been sentenced to three years probation for tampering with physical evidence and attempting to cover up for Cannizzo, her boyfriend.

Cannizzo has since been involved in an out-of-state car wreck and suffered neck and brain injuries. His plea offer was extended until he is healthy enough to appear in court.

Smith’s plea agreement calls for 10 years in prison for being a principal to third-degree murder with a firearm, but he will await sentencing in January as insurance he does not back out of his testimony, according to court documents.

Prosecutors initially offered Jackson 25 years in prison in exchange for a no contest plea. However, that agreement was revoked after a jailhouse letter from Jackson to Smith came to light.

Jurors are scheduled to be selected for the trial Monday.

PANAMA CITY — Police have released the condition of a mother who was left with “incapacitating” injuries after being hit by a car while pushing her child in a stroller.

Katrina Zakarchenco, 33, sustained head injuries during the crash, and the 3-year-old had “possible” injuries, according to a PCPD crash report. However, officers on scene said the baby was favoring one arm but was otherwise OK, police reported. Both were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Megan Tiffany Crafton, 24,  was driving a 2010 Nissan Murano Thursday at about 6:20 p.m. She stopped at the 11th Street light to make a left turn onto Frankford Avenue while Zakarchenco was waiting to cross Frankford. Crafton got a green turn arrow. However, Zakarchenco began to cross the road, pushing the child in the stroller, police reported.

According to officers, Crafton made contact with Zakarchenco and the child in the crosswalk. The stroller was knocked over and Zakarchenco was carried on the hood of the car for about 15 feet, police said.

Crafton, of Chipley, was charged with failure to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian.

Information is provided by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on people arrested on charges Jan. 14-21. Those arrested can contact The News Herald if charges are dropped or if they are acquitted. Addresses are those given by the defendant during arrest.

--- MUGSHOTS»»

Steve Corzel Corbin, 47, 3615 E. Second St., Panama City, grand theft,

Vincent Robert Barbieri, 52, 2817 State Ave., Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Christina Anne George-Warren, 31, 2610 Willow Oak Court, Panama City Beach, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Kendra Lee Haynes, 19, 2901 Carters Circle, Chipley, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Christopher Michael Naylor, 30, 16900 Juniper Ave., Panama City Beach, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Philip Juwan Nelson, 26, 4006 E. 11th St., Springfield, aggravated battery

Charhonda Janeice Thompson, 29, 900 Harrison Ave., Panama City, burglary

--- MUGSHOTS»»

Kristin Nicole Wilson, 20, burglary

Alvin Tarvarus Griffin, 25, 900 Harrison Ave., Panama City, burglary

Philip Juwan Nelson, 26, 4006 E. 11th St., Springfield, aggravated battery

Thomas Jerome Jacobs, 20, 1924 Brock Road, Cottondale, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Stacy Donnel Williams, 39, 283 Sukoshi Drive, Panama City, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Eric Savontae Perkins, 24, 1096 Arbours Drive, Panama City, possession of marijuana

Crystal Evelyn Davis, 28, 4411 W. Hwy 98, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Aaron Auston Alexander, 31, Indianapolis, Ind., burglary

Victoria Leigh Conway, 24, burglary, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Elizabeth Anne (Beth) Petruzielo, 50, 7606 Lilly St., Callaway, possession of controlled substance without prescription, possession of cocaine

Charles Ray Latture, 22, Beebe, Ark., burglary

--- MUGSHOTS»»

Tikela Annette Jenkins, 37, 2814 Panama Ave., Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Melissa Dawn Ramsey, 37, 1516 Arthur Ave., Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Randall William Meade, 22, 15239 Pine Cir., Panama City Beach, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment,

Alfonso Amos Jr Stanley, 47, 902 Magnolia Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Jeremy Lee Bell, 30, 937 Pitts Ave., Panama City, felony battery

Mitchel Anthony Thomas, 49, Baltimore, possession of cocaine, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Hershel Travis Seamon, 36, 1410 Thurso Road, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of marijuana, possession or use of narcotic equipment,

Son Vy Nguyen, 26, 3502 N. Jenks Ave., Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Tyshungela Veon Morris, 19, 2508 Minnesota Ave., Lynn Haven, neglect child without great bodily harm

Milton Pearce Dean, 43, 213 Greenwood, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Christopher Michael Hardison, 33, 211 S. Charlene Drive, Panama City, possession of cocaine, possession or use of narcotic equipment

--- MUGSHOTS»»

Unsolved homicides in Bay County.

Joanne Benner, 21: Went missing from her Titus Road residence on May 1, 1976, leaving behind two small children. Her husband told family members that she left during the night. Blood was found inside the residence, but a body was never found. BCSO identified a suspect.

Julie Ann Snell, 19: Last seen alive at the Breaker’s East on Beck Avenue the night of Oct. 30, 1979, and early morning of Nov. 1. She left the bar alone and was found strangled to death behind the bar next to the bay.

Archie Lee Kennington, 65: Found dead from stab wounds on May 7, 1980 inside the now-closed Thoni’s Gas Station on U.S. 231, the victim of an apparent robbery. No suspects were identified.

Ok Sun Kim West, 20: Found dead on March 29, 1982 inside her burning trailer in Callaway. Her throat was later discovered to have been cut. Suspects have been identified.

Vivian Lee Edwards, 32: Discovered missing from her Dolphin Drive home on Jan. 26, 1983. Blood was found inside the residence, and in 1988 her body was found in a wooded area in Walton County. A suspect was identified and BCSO is awaiting evidence results.

Booker T. Lewis, 63: Found shot to death inside his bail bond business at 1217 MLK Jr. Blvd. on Sept. 20, 1984.

Jacqueline Mary Bryant, 18: Last seen around April 15, 1986 in the area of Panama City Beach. Remains were found on Dec. 31, 1986 in a wooded area off Back Beach Road. Suspect has been identified.

Lois Bailey Johnson, 57: Found shot to death in the 200 block of West Fifth Street in front of the Post Office during the early morning hours of Jan. 20, 1986.

Dana Pierce, 25: Found shot to death on Aug. 1, 1988 in a wooded area behind the Tiki Lounge, 7105 Big Daddy Drive, on Panama City Beach. His car was later located near Hwy. 98 and Big Daddy Drive. No suspects identified.

Margaret Gilbert, 54: Found stabbed to death in her Joan Avenue residence on Oct. 24, 1988. No suspects identified.

Pamela Ray, 36: Discovered missing on Aug. 12, 1992 in the Long Beach area of Panama City beach. Her vehicle was found abandoned in front of a motel with her two small children asleep inside.

Victoria Patterson, 34: Last seen in September of 1993. Remains found in the clay pits off of Hwy. 390 on March 10, 1995, bound with a cord. Suspect has been identified.

Joseph Patton, 76: Discovered dead in his truck from stab wounds in the 1400 block of Mercedes Avenue next to the Massalina Housing Complex. Possibly abducted from his residence at 115 Kimberly Circle in Callaway.

Mike Brady, 28: Discovered shot to death inside his Callaway residence on Oct. 6, 1996. Suspects have been identified.

Robert Fraser, 32: Went missing around Aug. 5, 1996 from Panama City Beach after departing from a restaurant. His remains were later found on Dec. 4, 1996 in a wooded area off Hwy 79. It was determined he had been shot to death. A suspect has been identified.

Janet Lay, 45: Found stabbed to death in 1999 inside her mobile home located on Skunk Valley Road after it was set on fire. A suspect was identified, arrested and indicted, but the case was dropped.

Elizabeth Prescott, 19: Went missing on April 30, 2004 from her apartment at Abalone Apartments, 522 North Tyndall Pkwy. Has not been seen or heard from since that date. No evidence of foul play and no body were found. Investigators could not determine a crime scene; however the case remains open for further investigation.

PANAMA CITY — When investigators searched Joanne Benner’s home not long after the 21-year-old wife went missing, they found a patch of carpet removed from her Titus Road home in Bayou George.

To date, her body has not been found after the suspicious disappearance in 1976; however, investigators still are convinced Benner was killed.

And they claim to know who killed her, but have never been able to prove it.

--- UNSOLVED BAY COUNTY MURDERS

Along with specks of what investigators suspect is blood throughout the home, Benner’s then-3-year-old daughter is reported to have told a relative that on the day of Benner’s disappearance, “Mommy had to go away because she was bleeding from the stomach,” according to Bay County Sheriff’s Office records.

Investigators also later found the patch of carpet in a trash can. It had been set on fire, BCSO reported.

Benner’s disappearance is the oldest of 31 unsolved homicides and missing persons cases that make up the cold case files of Bay County. In the dim recesses of a BCSO closet, detailed in countless pages, are the files that have confounded investigators spanning back as far as 38 years.

Advancements in technology and techniques have assisted in solving many cold cases and also have prevented the trail of numerous homicides within the past decade from going cold in BCSO’s jurisdiction.

In the remaining stacks are expansive binders of the last known whereabouts of those believed to have either left on their own will to not be heard from again, disappeared under suspicious circumstances or reached an untimely demise with no one to answer for the crime.

Cold cases: Lining the cubicle of former Panama City Beach Police Chief Lee Sullivan are the faces of those who disappeared without the reasons for their departure adding up.

“Sometimes it comes down to ‘no body, no crime,’ “ Sullivan said.

Several different agencies, and an untold number of eyes, have perused the cases. The pages upon pages of findings have accumulated over the years in thick dossiers. Currently tasked with reviewing those findings and investigating further, Sullivan volunteered for the cold case duty months ago. So far he has scanned the thousands of documents in 21 cases in what he calls “the tomb of doom,” BCSO’s cold case closet.

--- UNSOLVED BAY COUNTY MURDERS

“It’s like a Dumpster diver,” Sullivan said. “You can’t just look over the edge. You have to dig in and rummage around. If you don’t look through every page, you might miss something.”

A majority of the cold homicide cases have a suspect identified, Sullivan said, but some portion of the evidence have failed investigators along the way.

The Benner case has been active since 1976. Investigators suspected someone close Benner was responsible. Less than five years ago, investigators made advances they believed were going to lead to an arrest.

But at the last minute they fell through.

Investigators reportedly found blood in Benner’s house; DNA testing was not an option at the time, so they were unable to match the blood to Benner. Detectives sent some of the preserved evidence in the case for DNA testing recently, but it came back as too old and disintegrated to make a match.

DNA advancements: DNA evidence is now crucial to successfully prosecuting most crimes. But besides being able to directly connect a person to a crime scene using DNA, career criminals can tell on themselves over time without knowing they are doing so.

“The ability to extrapolate DNA now as opposed to back then is a world apart,” Sullivan said.

DNA samples are collected and stored in all homicide investigations, and they are taken in most felony crimes. The DNA is filed away in perpetuity — always out there in a database, just waiting for the right DNA sequence to join them. If that matching DNA is ever collected in a future case, a flag would pop up for investigators.

“If we know they left a DNA profile, we get a warrant on that DNA,” said Capt. Jimmy Stanford, BCSO’s chief investigator. “Then the statute of limitations on that DNA does not run out.”

BCSO has tried other avenues to solicit information on cold cases. Panhandle CrimeStoppers also issued decks of cards to state Department of Corrections inmates, with some of the cold cases featured on each card. Inmates play cards with the decks, and investigators were hopeful the move will help crack the cases.

The experiment proved less successful than anticipated, with some inmates spinning stories about the cold cases to cellmates in attempts to garner respect, Stanford said.

“They just didn’t result in a case being cleared,” he said. “But we don’t regret those.”

--- UNSOLVED BAY COUNTY MURDERS

However, investigators have developed a complementary approach to the crucial first 48 hours after a person’s disappearance is considered suspicious. And since 2004, BCSO has implemented a sort of witness isolation technique to prevent a suspected homicide case from going cold.

Cold case prevention: Shortly after a group of “wannabe” gang members brutally beat a 17-year-old to death with baseball bats in 2004, BCSO began using a technique that has proven quite successful — even resulting in closing a few cold cases. When foul play is suspected, the sum of BCSO’s resources are called in for assistance — and sometimes even other agencies, Stanford said.

“We don’t hesitate to call in other agencies,” he said. “If we need more help, we’ll go to other agencies. We call anybody and everybody.”

The approach involves a lightning attack of witness and suspect isolation to corroborate or refute stories. It first came into practice in 2004 after members of the “Crazy White Boys” gang beat 17-year-old Jeffrey Shane Elliot to death with baseball bats following a drug deal gone bad, Stanford said.

Investigators reported Elliot was attacked by the group in the 6500 block of South Lagoon Drive the evening of June 2. They beat the teenager unconscious with a baseball bat after he attempted to purchase drugs from them and was left near a boat ramp to die, BCSO said.

In October, deputies rounded up several teenagers and arrested them on charges relating to Elliot’s death. To weed out the valid variations of numerous witness accounts, officers interviewed several witnesses simultaneously and then compared notes to find the narrative.

“It’s so labor intensive and we hadn’t done it like that before,” Stanford said. “It encompassed much of the agency, and that is something you can’t do every day.”

Steven Bruce Fox Jr. was convicted of manslaughter for the beating and received eight years of probation.

That same year, investigators used the same strategy to charge three people in connection with the June 2002 shooting of 14-year-old Desmond Ray.

Ray was shot once behind the left ear while he sat under a tree in a courtyard of Pana-Villa Garden Apartments. His shooting was in retaliation for a shot he fired the day before at Eric Richardson. More than a year-and-a-half later, investigators organized.

Five teens were arrested for plotting to kill Ray and many were sentenced to decades of prison time following the prosecution of the case. But it wouldn’t be the last cold case to reach a resolution due to the witness isolation technique.

“We’ve been able to clear three cold cases using that tactic,” Stanford said.

Ongoing investigations: The ultimate goal of Sullivan’s review of the cold cases is to deliver a suspect to justice. And, in doing so, deliver closure to the surviving family members.

--- UNSOLVED BAY COUNTY MURDERS

“When you lose someone, it’s different when you at least have something there,” Sullivan said.

However, as time continues to pass, the remaining untapped avenues to investigate narrow. But while the faces peer out at the former police chief from the walls of his cubicle and the thick dossiers are still open for investigation, officers will strive for a resolution.

“It’s important no one gets forgotten,” Sullivan said.

COMING UP

• In upcoming months, The News Herald will publish articles on specific cold cases, updating the status of the investigations.

GRACEVILLE — Four people are dead and two others are in critical condition after a horrific crash Saturday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Larry Collins, 57, was driving south on State 77 in Jackson County when George Henry Hayes, 54, traveling east on County 162, ran a stop sign posted at the intersection, according to the FHP.

Collins’ 1995 Ford F-150 collided with the left side of Hayes’ 2003 Chevrolet pickup, after which both vehicles entered the northbound shoulder south of County 162. Both vehicles overturned and caught fire.

Hayes and two of his passengers, 22-year-old Bishop Peterson and 45-year-old Angela Peterson Spencer, were killed. One of Collins’ passengers, 55-year-old Sandra Collins, was also killed.

Larry Collins and 6-year-old Lanasai McCutcheon, a passenger in Hayes’ truck, were taken to Southeast Alabama Medical Center in critical condition.

The Florida Highway Patrol has not determined if alcohol was a factor in Hayes' role in the crash; alcohol was not a factor for Collins, the FHP reported.

Larry and Sandra Collins were from Campbellton. Hayes and his passengers were from Greenwood.

BAYOU GEORGE — Police believe a woman who stabbed her husband to death Saturday night was protecting herself from him.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office is investigating the stabbing of 29-year-old Christopher Williams in the home he shared with his wife, 34-year-old Erin Goodwin.

Goodwin told investigators Williams attacked her in the living room and the fight moved to the kitchen, where she said she stabbed him.

Deputies went to their home and found Williams dead on the kitchen floor. Investigators continue to look into the incident, but law enforcement believes Goodwin acted in self-defense.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — City Manager Mario Gisbert has recommended Colony Club residents help pay for a new exit out of their community if the project moves forward.

He said it could be a joint effort of government and the residents.

“One of the nice things with participation is it precludes people from just throwing up a wish list,” Gisbert told the council. “Because when there is a buy in, there is a little bit of thought. It isn’t just, ‘I want, I want, I want.’ I’m willing to spend a little bit — it means it really means something to them.”

Residents say the current single exit in and out of the subdivision has become a death trap, with cars turning in different directions as they stack up in the median at the intersection of Fairway Boulevard and Back Beach Road. On Sept. 30, a crash at the intersection killed Carolyn Smith, of Vernon, when she pulled her 2001 Ford Taurus into the path of a 1997 Ford F150 pickup truck driven by Janie Forthier, of Youngstown, according to Panama City Beach Police.

The entrance and exit also is used by Holiday Golf Club.

To address the issue, city staff had been evaluating the development of a possible east-west side road that would run parallel to Back Beach Road, linking Fairway Boulevard a couple of blocks to either Clara Avenue or Nautilus Street. If either one of those roads were built, Colony Club residents and golf club patrons could pull out onto Back Beach Road at traffic light.

Gisbert said if the two-lane road with sidewalks moves forward, he would recommend closing the median at Fairway Boulevard.

He said Bay County has a paving participation plan in which the county can fund 60 percent of a project’s costs and the residents pay the other 40 percent.

“It doesn’t preclude the county from utilizing some DOT funds, some grant funds, stormwater,” he said. “There are other different venues for them to get those funds.”

Colony Club resident Margaret True said she thinks the city should pay for the road, not the residents.

 “I don’t agree with it as far as residents paying (for the road),” she said. “The city created this situation when they allowed the subdivision to be built, and then overbuilt, and they didn’t require more than one entrance and exit.”

Gisbert said the road going to Nautilus Street would cost half of what it would cost to go to Clara Avenue. Building a road to Clara Avenue would require 2,360 feet of property whereas the Nautilus Street route would only require 1,406 feet.

“There is the one residential lot (going to Nautilus),” Gisbert said. “It has some wetlands crossing.” He added that most of the property is owned by St. Joe Co. and is uplands.

 “So it might not be that complicated,” he said. “It still requires coordinating with the St. Joe Co.”

Councilwoman Josie Strange said she thinks the exit should be the city’s responsibility.

“This place is unique in the fact that there is only one way in and one way out, and it wasn’t an issue 15 years ago, or 30 years ago, or 50 years ago when it was built,” Strange said. “It’s an issue now not only for (Colony Club residents), but people traveling east and west.”

Gisbert said he was planning on talking with St. Joe officials on Monday to discuss costs and other facts about building the road to Nautilus.

Gisbert said a workshop should be held at a later date to talk to Colony Club residents.

“Let’s face it, there might be a resident or two in here that may or may not like the idea,” he said. “Again, we’re talking ideas.”

Mayor Gayle Oberst said the city doesn’t have a procedure for communities to get this kind of a project, and she said she’d like for Gisbert to bring that back.

“And then give us a little bit more hard facts,” Oberst said.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Police are seeking information on a suspect in an armed robbery at the Panama City Beach Zaxby’s late Saturday.

A man, armed with an unknown caliber silver handgun and wearing a dark hooded windbreaker and ski mask, forced his way into the business located at 9960 Hutchison Boulevard at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Panama City Beach Police Department reported. The suspect, described as black, 5-foot-11 and of athletic build, gained access to the store safe and stole an undisclosed amount of cash, PCPD reported.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call PCPD at (850) 233-5000 or CrimeStoppers at (850) 785-TIPS.

PANAMA CITY — Drivers traveling 23rd Street in Panama City will encounter temporary lane closures between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. on  Tuesday as crews perform routine bridge maintenance work on the Posten Bayou Bridge near the intersection with Grant Avenue.

All planned activities are weather-dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.

PANAMA CITY — Attorneys began selecting jurors to decide the fate of a Panama City man accused of killing a Panama City Beach marijuana distributor he planned to rob before the tables turned and he found himself at gunpoint.

Randy Jackson, 24, could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted as charged with manslaughter, attempted robbery with a firearm and other charges. Judge James Fensom told potential jurors he expected testimony in a three-day trial to start Tuesday.

Jackson was arrested July 10, just hours after a gunfight at the Club condominiums in Panama City Beach that left 20-year-old Ryan Brooks dead.

According to an account from Joshua Smith, who has accepted a deal with prosecutors to testify against Jackson, some friends and he wanted to get high, so they looked for someone with marijuana to sell.
Brooks, who dated Jackson’s co-defendant Alyssa Watford, agreed to sell them two ounces of weed for $550.

Jackson and Smith had the money to pay for the marijuana, but they allegedly decided instead to attempt to rob Brooks, procuring pistols and going to the Club.

According to Smith’s account, when Jackson and Smith arrived, Brooks jumped Smith, who approached Brooks alone with a pistol and a wad of cash while Jackson waited in the car. Smith, with a pistol in his pocket, got into a vehicle where Brooks and an acquaintance, Joseph Cannizzo, waited. Brooks and Cannizzo drew pistols and smacked him in the face with a gun, and then they ordered Smith to take his pants off, Smith’s account states. Brooks and Cannizzo took Smith’s gun and money, then went to see what was in the car he drove to the meet.

Smith said he watched as Brooks opened the door to the car where Jackson waited. Seconds later, he said, he saw muzzle flashes and Brooks seemed to stumble backward. Jackson put the car in reverse and began to leave, Smith said, and Cannizzo left his vehicle and opened fire at the car as Jackson drove away.

Smith was able to escape at that point and ran away through the woods in his underwear. He and Jackson, Watford and Cannizzo were arrested shortly thereafter.

Prosecutor Bob Sombathy told jurors he expected Jackson to argue he acted in self-defense, and said the Stand Your Ground Law didn’t apply in situations where someone was attempting to commit robbery.

“If someone is committing a robbery, they cannot use deadly force — period,” he said.

Sombathy and defense attorney Rob Boyette questioned potential jurors about their views on marijuana laws and gun ownership. They were looking for anyone who felt so strongly about the prohibition of marijuana that they might feel the law itself was at least partially to blame for the crime.

“There are a lot of laws on the books ... that people don’t agree with,” Boyette said.

One juror expressed surprise that a person can be charged with robbery for stealing a prohibited substance such as marijuana.