New public defender appointed for Circuit Court
Attorney Josh Turner wanted to give back to the community where he was born and raised.
Now he has his chance.
On Monday, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors approved hiring Turner to be the new public defender for the 3rd District Circuit Court, a position held for almost six years by attorney Ken Coghlan who resigned last month. (October 7, 2010, Page 5)
Water Valley bank robbery suspect nabbed
Christopher Eric Cooper of Lafayette County has been arrested and charged with Tuesday’s armed robbery of Water Valley’s Regions Bank. Officers from the Oxford Police Department and Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department arrested Cooper, 39, at his home near Abbeville without incident at approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday. (October 6, 2010, Page 1)
Hunters charged with killing too many ducks
Seven local men where charged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services with 14 counts of illegal duck hunting.
According to the legal information filed Aug. 17 and unsealed Sept. 15 at the Federal Courthouse in Oxford, the men also killed several of the ducks and didn’t retrieve them. Investigators discovered eight mallard ducks hidden in an undisclosed location that were not tagged. (October 6, 2010, Page 6)
Bond denied for alleged panty pirate
The man charged with breaking into several homes and stealing women’s lingerie has been denied bond.
Joseph Paul Lillo, of the Law Hills community in Marshall County, was arrested Sunday and charged with 11 counts of burglary for allegedly breaking into homes in the LOU area since June.
*BREAKING NEWS* Panty pirate’s name released
The Oxford Police Department has released the name of the man they claim has broken into about 14 homes in the LOU community since June, stealing the under garments of at least nine women.
Joseph Paul Lillo, 32, has been charged with nine counts of burglary and is being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing this afternoon.
Lillo was arrested Sunday in Marshall County after investigators obtained a warrant when a witness reported seeing Lillo’s vehicle on Eagle Nest Lane on Saturday. A woman returning home at about 6 p.m. discovered her house had been broken into and that someone had stolen her panties. (October 4, 2010)
Police nab alleged panty pirate
The panty thief who has been rummaging through Oxford women’s drawers and stealing their unmentionables has been taken into custody, according to the Oxford Police Department.
The suspect, whose name has not been released as of this morning, has allegedly broken into 12 homes in the city and two in the county since June, each time taking lingerie and panties from his victims. (October 4, 2010, Page 1A)
Coach pleads not guilty to sex charges
Alabama high school football coach Dwight Bowling has pleaded not guilty to charges of having sexual relationships with minors and attempting to get one of his victims to lie to investigators about their relationship.
Looking disheveled and 10 years older than his 55 years, Bowling, entered the not guilty plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Oxford before Magistrate S. Allan Alexander via his attorney Christi McCoy of Oxford. (September 30, 2010, Page 1)
Foster parent guilty of abusing foster child
A Lafayette County jury took four hours to deliver a guilty verdict against a former Oxford man, charged with molesting his 16-year-old foster child.
David Campbell, 46, was originally charged with fondling by a person in a position of trust or authority and sexual battery by a person in a position of trust or authority. The jury acquitted Campbell on the sexual battery, but found him guilty on the fondling charge. (September 28, 2010, Page 1)
Wright’s mother hopes to raise reward money
Deborah Marion is hoping to raise $100,000 to offer as an award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing her son, Lafayette County native Lorenzen Wright.
Wright, 34, was last seen by family members July 19; three days later he was reported missing. Wright’s body was found July 28 in a wooded area just outside Memphis. His death was ruled a homicide by gunshot wounds. (September 21, 2010, Page 1)
Reward offered in hunt for panty thief
The Lafayette County Crimestoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of a panty-raiding perpetrator that has local law enforcement officers scrambling to calm the fears of women in Oxford and Lafayette County.
Since July, an unknown suspect has been on the loose, breaking into young women’s homes and stealing their unmentionables.
All together, the Oxford Police Department and Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department have reported about a dozen burglaries where all that was taken was the female occupants underwear or lingerie. Most of the break-ins have occurred in the city with about two occurring in the county. (September 17, 2010, Page 2A)
