PANAMA CITY — An Alabama woman pleaded no contest Thursday to charges of murder in the robbery and slaying of a 90-year-old Lynn Haven man.
Ashley Griffin, 29, of Hartford, Ala., had been charged with first-degree murder but pleaded to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in the April slaying of Wallace Reid Scott. Police discovered Scott’s body bound, beaten and strangled at his Lynn Haven home, initiating a manhunt for three suspects spanning three states. Griffin’s plea releases her from the possibility of capital punishment, but she still faces life in prison during her October sentencing.
Prosecutors said Griffin drove two men to Scott’s home to coerce banking account information from him. Scott was bound and beaten when he refused to provide personal identification numbers. Officials said there was evidence of torture.
A grand jury has charged Kevin Jeffries, 29, and David Challender, 28, with premeditated murder in the case. They could face the death penalty during their trials in July and September, respectively.
Prosecutor Larry Basford indicated the state will use DNA evidence found on-scene and Griffin’s testimony to corroborate its case against the co-defendants.
“During this burglary, [Jefferies and Challender] beat, tortured and ultimately killed Scott,” Basford said during Griffin’s pretrial hearing. “Accepting this plea, she is going to cooperate and testify.”
Police records indicate each of the suspects was found with stolen items belonging to Scott in their possession.
Griffin eventually was located in Donalsonville, Ga., on April 13, nine days after Scott was killed, and brought back to Bay County. She was wearing a ring that belonged to Scott. Investigators developed her, Jeffries and Challender as suspects the previous day.
Jeffries, of Hartford, and Challender, of Vernon, were arrested later the same day; Jeffries was in Holmes County and Challender was in Caryville.
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 told The News Herald that Scott learned of the fraud and had an appointment to remove Mercer as a beneficiary in his April 8 will. She has been cleared of suspicion of being in the house at the time of the killing.
Griffinalso pleaded to felony charges of armed robbery and burglary of a dwelling while armed, each of which also can carry a life sentence.