Man Found in Stolen Truck with Methamphetamine During Recent Traffic Stop to Make Court Appearance

October 1, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A Smithville man found in a stolen pickup truck with methamphetamine during a recent traffic stop is scheduled to be in DeKalb County General Sessions Court this week.

28-year-old Nathan Wayne Stout of Hurricane Ridge Road is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver; evading arrest; resisting arrest; and driving without a license. His total bond is $62,000 and he will make a court appearance on October 5.

According to Chief Deputy Brian Williams of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, an officer was patrolling Sparta Highway on September 16 when he spotted a black Toyota pickup and learned from a background check of the license plate that the truck was reported stolen in Rutherford County. The officer then pulled over the truck and spoke with the driver, Stout who had an ID card but no license. When told he was under arrest and ordered to place his hands behind him, Stout resisted and fled on foot but he was subsequently caught and placed in custody. After arrival at the sally port of the jail, Stout was searched by a correctional officer who found a small baggie in Stout’s right pocket containing a white crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine weighing 0.90 grams.

50-year-old Dwayne Edward Reeder Jr. of Old Highway 53 is charged with aggravated assault. His bond is $7,500 and he will make a court appearance on October 5. Chief Deputy Williams said that on September 17 a deputy was called to a residence on Old Highway 53 due to a possible domestic incident. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with Reeder and the victim, and she (victim) reported that Reeder had tried to run her over with his vehicle. Reeder was arrested for the offense.

67-year-old Michael David Verble of Hot Springs, Arkansas has been arrested on a grand jury sealed indictment sought by the District Attorney’s Office for financial exploitation of the elderly. He is under a $10,000 bond.

38-year-old Shawn Collin Fitzgerald of Adamson Branch Road, Liberty, is charged with domestic assault and evading arrest. His court date is October 12. The total bond for him is $9,500. According to Chief Deputy Williams Fitzgerald broke out the window of a vehicle his victim was in and tried to pull her out by the sweatshirt she was wearing placing the woman in fear of bodily injury. Fitzgerald later tried to evade arrest for the attack on the woman by jumping from a window of a home and hiding in the woods. He was subsequently taken into custody.

71-year-old Lloyd Glenn Rigsby of Bethel Road is charged with assault on a first responder. His bond is $3,500. Chief Deputy Williams said that on September 12 a deputy was called to a residence on Bethel Road where a man was allegedly threatening suicide. Upon arrival the officer spoke with the man Rigsby who appeared to be under the influence. Rigsby claimed to have several guns in his bedroom and threatened that he would use them to shoot law enforcement. As the deputy entered the home, Rigsby allegedly moved closer to his bedroom, but he was kept from going in. As EMS arrived to examine Rigsby, he allegedly assaulted the deputy, kicking him in the right leg and hitting him on the side of his face. Rigsby was then taken into custody.

33-year-old Johnathan Daryl Lawson of Peyton Lane, Smithville, is charged with evading arrest. His bond is $6,500 and he will be in court on October 5. Chief Deputy Williams said that on August 18 a deputy was summoned to Cookeville Highway due to a report of a reckless driver on a black motorcycle and he spotted a motorcycle matching the description. The officer turned around and activated his emergency lights and siren to pull over the motorcycle, but it failed to stop and actually picked up speed passing two vehicles in a no-passing zone. Although the motorcycle sped away, the deputy later learned that Lawson was the operator, and he was arrested on September 21.

50-year-old Freddy Sylvester Stringer of Church Street, Liberty, is charged with driving on a revoked or suspended license, and violation of the sex offender registry. His bond totals $6,500 and he will make a court appearance on October 5. According to Chief Deputy Williams, an officer pulled over a Ford F-150 for a light law violation on September 19 and learned through central dispatch that the driver, Stringer had a 2004 DUI conviction and that his license is revoked because of it. Stringer, a convicted sex offender, admitted to the officer that he has resided at The Loop Circle over the past few months even though his address on the sex offender registry is Church Street in Liberty. That is a violation of the sex offender registry law.

47-year-old Bobby Wayne Pinegar Jr. Hurricane Ridge Road is charged with driving on a revoked or suspended license. His bond is $3,500 and he will make a court appearance on September 28. Chief Deputy Williams said that on September 11 an officer pulled over a gray Chevy HHR driven by Pinegar, knowing that Pinegar’s license was suspended. Pinegar was issued a citation for the same offense on August 2. Central dispatch confirmed that Pinegar’s license was still suspended.

22-year-old Alberto Alexis Barcenas of McMinnville is charged with DUI. His bond is $3,500 bond and he will make a court appearance on October 5. According to Chief Deputy Williams, a deputy was summoned to a wreck September 17 on Allen Ferry Road. Upon arrival the officer confronted the driver, Barcenas who smelled of alcohol. Barcenas’ eyes were glossy, and he could not keep his balance. Barcenas submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. An open container of alcohol was found inside the vehicle.

44-year-old Ricky Allen Ashford of East Main Street, Liberty, is charged with driving on a revoked or suspended license. He is under a $5,000 and will make a court appearance on October 5. Chief Deputy Williams said that on September 17 a deputy was travelling south on McMinnville Highway when he spotted Ashford driving a blue Chevy S10 knowing that Ashford’s license was suspended. Ashford was arrested on September 7 for the same offense. Central dispatch confirmed that Ashford’s license was still suspended.

41-year-old Willie Ray Murphy of West Bryant Street, Smithville, is charged with driving on a revoked or suspended drivers’ license. He is under a $6,000 bond and will be in court on October 5. Chief Deputy Williams said that on September 21 a deputy stopped Murphy, the driver of a gold Lincoln car for having the wrong license tag on the vehicle. The officer learned the tag was actually for a Nissan Pathfinder. Murphy admitted to not having a valid license and a background check through central dispatch confirmed that his license was revoked and that he had three prior convictions for driving on a revoked license.

62-year-old Tammy Elizabeth Burton of Pea Ridge Road, Liberty, is charged with DUI. She is under a $2,000 bond and will be in court on October 12. Chief Deputy Williams said that on September 23 a concerned citizen spotted a woman slumped over in the driver’s seat of a vehicle and then flagged down a deputy to report it. The officer found the woman, Burton to have constricted pupils and she was unsteady on her feet and had a difficult time staying alert. Burton admitted to taking Suboxone earlier in the day. She submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks.

October 1, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Justin Potter Library and the DeKalb County Library Board will host a free community event on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Evins Park (across from the library) in Smithville. In case of rain the event will be held at the DeKalb County Complex. There will be two events happening at the same time: a partial solar eclipse viewing and a plant swap. The DeKalb Prevention Coalition will also be participating in this event with information, moon pies and a fun activity.

Starting at 10 a.m., the library will offer free glasses (first come first serve) to safely view the eclipse, which begins at 10:30. The eclipse ends at 1:30 p.m. Capri sun juice drinks will be available as long as supplies last.

Also, from 10 a.m.-12 noon, the community is invited to swap plants! All plant enthusiasts are welcome to share plants they are ready to part with. Examples include but are not limited to: cuttings, succulents, bulbs, tubers, planters or other plant-y things. No selling allowed – this is a friendly swap. If you don’t have something to share but you enjoy plants, come anyway! There should be plenty to go around. There will be a kids make-and-take planting table set up as well.

For more information contact the library at 615-597-4359 or our Facebook, Web site at dekalblibraries.net or Instagram.

September 30, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville has a ghoulish past with stories of devilish deeds that will make your hair stand on end. Learn all about these blood curdling events on a guided journey called “: A Haunted History Walking Tour” that will take you to the scenes of these horrific crimes. It’s a pre-Halloween event you don’t want to miss. Come along if you dare Thursday and Saturday, October 26 & 28 starting at 6:30 p.m. each night. The cost is only $10 for adults and $7 for children 10 years of age and younger and all proceeds raised will be donated to the DeKalb Animal Coalition for the continued operation of the DeKalb Animal Shelter.

The starting point of the tour each night is the Smithville First United Methodist Church Christian Fellowship Center, 100 West Church Street. Ticket sales start at 5:30 p.m. with complimentary refreshments. The tour begins at 6:30 p.m. Advance ticket sales are the at the law office of Sarah J. Cripps at 201 West Main Street Smithville.

“We will be talking about some murders both solved and unsolved during the 19th & 20th centuries in the City of Smithville and actually take you to the places where they occurred,” said Sarah Cripps, event organizer.

“Among the cases we will be discussing on the tour is the unsolved murder of Henrietta Tramel which occurred on January 31, 1974 in her home,” Cripps continued.

“We will also be covering a much-discussed murder of Ms. Cannie Hayes Smith that occurred on May 2, 1929. That one is also unsolved”.

“We will talk about the hanging of young John Presswood. When he was 16 years old in the year 1870 he brutally murdered with an axe Rachel Billings in the presence of her three children. That crime led him to the gallows. On May 24, 1872 at only age 17 he was hanged on the east side of the courthouse between the city hall and courthouse,” said Cripps.

“Another crime we are going to cover is the lynching of Charlie Davis that occurred on August 2,1901. This was a blood thirsty mob that lynched a middle-aged dapper white man for dating a younger and extremely beautiful white woman. The lynching party was led by the family of Katie Hughes whom Charlie was courting at the time. It was a very brutal event involving a lot of townspeople who lived here at the time,” she said.

“Visit the Victorian Home on West Main Street, where two separate murders occurred, only four years apart”.

“We will also cover some more recent murders as well. These murders occurred as the result of all kinds of motives including passion, revenge, greed, financial gain, the use of drugs by the perpetrators, etc. We will cover the gamut with multiple actors telling the stories of these people whose lives were cut short unjustly and prematurely,” added Cripps.