Convicted Felon Found with Handgun

November 13, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

A convicted felon was arrested Sunday morning after he was found illegally in possession of a handgun.

38 year old Jerry Shawn Kelsey of Sparta was charged with the offense. His bond is $20,000 and he will be in court December 6.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Sunday, November 11 at 1:35 a.m. a deputy was patrolling  when he noticed two occupants in a black car with its headlights off setting at a business on East Broad Street.. The deputy stopped and spoke with the driver, Kelsey. An NCIC computer check revealed he had active warrants against him in Van Buren and White Counties. A further background check found that Kelsey has multiple felonies against him including theft of property over $10,000, aggravated burglary, and other charges. The officer recovered a handgun under the driver seat after Kelsey admitted it was there. The gun was a black  380 caliber pistol Jimenez Arms.

21 year old Olivia Hope Barber of Forrest Avenue, Smithville is charged with tampering with evidence and public intoxication. She was also cited for simple possession of a schedule IV drug. Barber is under a $11,500 bond and her court date is December 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, November 11 a deputy arrested Barber on East Broad Street for public intoxication after finding the woman unsteady on her feet. Barber’s speech was also slurred. After placing her in the back seat of his patrol car the officer noticed that Barber had laid down. When he opened the back door to check on Barber the deputy found a small white pill on the floor board.  He then removed Barber from the car and spotted a white powdery residue on the back seat where she had been lying. The officer determined that Barber had tried to destroy  evidence by eating the pills she had on her.

Barber was then  brought to the jail and strip searched by a female correctional officer in the bathroom of the booking room. During the search, the correctional officer noticed a paper towel protruding from Barber’s body cavity. After being asked to remove it, Barber grabbed the paper (apparently containing drugs) and tossed it in the toilet. As the correctional officer tried to restrain her, Barber used her foot to flush it. Barber admitted to the officer that what she flushed was her medication.

32 year old Brandon Thomas Carpenter of McMinnville is charged with four counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card. His bond is $6,000 and he will make a court appearance on November 15.

Sheriff  Ray said Carpenter used his victim’s credit or debit card to obtain money at Walmart in the following amounts: $275.99 on June 3, $221.99 and $330.99 on June 5, and $221.00 on June 9.

28 year old Christopher Howard of Nashville Highway, Liberty is charged with driving under the influence. He was also cited for violation of the open container law. His bond is $1,500 and he will make a court appearance on December 6.

Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, November 5 a deputy was called to Nashville Highway where a man was spotted passed out behind the steering wheel of an SUV. Upon arrival the officer found the driver, Howard, passed out and the engine was still running. The deputy awoke Howard and detected a strong odor of alcohol on his person. His eyes were red and watery and he was unsteady on his feet. An open container of alcohol was also in the vehicle.

32 year old Charika Lynn Moore of Estes Street, Smithville is charged with filing a false report. She is under a $6,500 bond and her court date is November 29.

Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, November 7, a deputy went to Moore’s residence on Estes Street to serve a state warrant  on a man but when Moore answered the door she told the officer that the man he was looking for was not present and did not live there. The officer conducted a search and found the man hiding under clothes in a bedroom closet. He was taken into custody and so was Moore.

34 year old Brandy Leanna Goff and 26 year old Samantha Marie Willis both of Baxter are charged with aggravated criminal trespassing. Each is under a $2,500 bond and will appear in court on December 29.

Sheriff Ray said that on Sunday, November 11 a deputy responded to Austin Bottom Road due to a break-in. Upon arrival, the officer found Goff and Willis on the property but they did not have permission to be there.

November 12, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The body of a woman was found this morning in the backyard of a residence on Parkway Drive in Smithville.

The case is under investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The deceased has not yet been identified and the cause of death has not been determined.

Sheriff Patrick Ray has released the following prepared statement:

“On Monday, November 12 DeKalb Central Dispatch received a call at 7:50 a.m. of a body lying in a backyard on Parkway Drive Smithville. Officers with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the 13^th District Attorney’s Office were summoned to the scene.

Officers at the scene could not produce any photo identification on the body and the body has not yet been identified. The body is described as a white female, approximately 5’4” inches tall, approximately 120-125 pounds, sandy blonde hair, approximately 30-40 years of age. The female was wearing maroon medical scrubs and brown boots. There was an orange Home Depot jersey, brown jacket and blue shirt at the scene. The female also had a pierced belly button, a tattoo of a cross on the back of her neck, and what appeared to be a “M” “W” or “3” tattooed on her right hand.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are asking for the public’s help in identifying the body.

If you think you may know the identity of this lady, please call the DeKalb Central Dispatch at 615-215-3000 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Tip Line at 1-800-TBI-FIND”.

November 12, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The driver of a pickup truck hauling firewood from a left over bonfire was alerted and pulled over Saturday at the intersection of Highway 70 and 83 after someone spotted smoke coming from the bed of the truck.

The fire rekindled as the truck was traveling down the road and the driver was unaware. Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department were summoned to the scene and quickly snuffed out the smoldering firewood.

No one was injured and there was no damage to the truck.