Owingsville
Drug
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Owingsville ,,)rC
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Bath County
Barron indicted for murder
)l •
i By Charles Mattox
News Reporter
A Bath County Grand
Jury returned a supersed-
ing murder indictment on
Jan. 23 against Eleazer
Barron, also known as
Rodney Barronl 48, of
Bath County.
The indictment states
that Barron committed
murder on Dec. 31, 2003
when he, with the intent
to cause the death of an-
other person under cir-
cumstances manifesting
extreme indifference to
human life and wantonly
Becraft with a handgun.
Kentucky State Troop-
er Joe Veeneman contin-
ues to lead the complex
investigation which has
made its way through the
circuit court in one form
or another several times
with no clear-cut resolu-
tion.
Roger 'Plum" Leach was
also involved in the cir-
cumstances which led to
Becraft's murder, accord-
ing to investigators.
Leach pled guilty to
tampering with physical
evidence, according to in-
vestigators, and the six-
day murder trial of Bar-
engaged in conduct which ron is currently scheduled
created a grave risk of to begin this March 23.
death to another and "Mr. Becraft was shot
caused the death of an- five times in 2003 at his
other when he shot Jerry residence at Blevins Val-
• :Winter sports? •
ley Road," Veeneman told
The News Outlook." The
murder weapon has been
recovered and we have
good ballistics."
Veeneman praised the
efforts of fellow KSP offi-
cers Jim Bowling and Jer-
emy Hamm who arrived
on the scene rapidly after
shots were fired that took
the life of Becraft.
"There's no question in
my mind that Mr. Barron
is the one who pulled the
trigger and murdered Mr.
Becraft," Veeneman said.
If convicted of murder,
Barron faces 20-50 years
to life imprisonment.
Commonwealth's At-
torney Keen Johnson de-
clined comment on the
indictment and pending
trial.
Photo by Lacy Corey
rhese two boys took advantage of the unusually warm weather on Monday - a
welcome break from the recent biNer storms - to catch bluegills in a farm pond.
: Grand jury indictments
By Lacy Corey
Staff Writer
- The Bath County Grand
Jury convened on January
• 22, 2009, and returned indict-
ments on 17 individuals, in-
cluding an indictment of mur-
der against Eleazer Zurdga
Barron, see separate article.
Glen Vice, Indictment, The
Grand Jury charges that on
or about the time period of
June/July, 2004 through sum-
mer of 2007, in Bath County,
Kentucky the above named
defendant: 1. Committed the
offence of wrongful sexual in-
tercourse with an individu-
al less than 18 years of age.
2. Committed the offence of
Unlawful Transaction With
Minor, First Degree, when
the above named defendant
knowingly caused an individ-
ual, who was then less than
18 years old, to engage in file-
gal controlled substance activ-
ity, to-wit: provided pills and
injected the individual with
morphine. Bail: $20,000
Kentucky State Police De-
tective Toby Gardner testified
before the grand jury prior
to the issuance of the indict-
ments against Vice.
John D. Jones, Supersed-
ing Indictment, The Grand
See JURY Page 11
i
Rezkalla Butros, MD, F,A.C.P.
148 Skyview Drive
Mt. Sterling, Ky. 40353
Phone: (859) 499-0717
I II I I
Mohtgome, r, __ ts Counties
Photo by Lacy Corey
A fire on Monday destroyed the Salt Lick home of Mylon Downs and his family.
Fire destroys Salt Lick home
By Lacy Corey
Staff Writer
An early morning blaze
claimed all of Mylon Downs,
Leeann Kelley and their
three small children's world-
ly possessions Monday.
Jacky Williams, dispatch-
was too late. Fire had al-
ready reached the top floor•
The Chief said that it was
very difficult to fight the fire
in the top floor because the
steps to the floor had been
previously removed.
After examination, Chief
Frizzell said that the fire
appeared to be electrical in
nature.
er at the Salt Lick Fire De- , .... . .
..... ccormng ro apam
partmen recezveo a report .. 1.. i.. , ,a. ^,.
...................... ""b'ffn§" were profably spared
i Street in Salt Lick, at ap- because of smoke detectors
proximately 5:09 a.m., Mon-
day the 9th.
According to Salt Lick Fire
Chief, Brent Frizzell, the
first, person on the scene, got
there within eight minutes
of receiving the call. Of the
24 firemen who work for the
Salt Lick Fire Department,
15 arrived at Railroad Street
to stop the blaze. "It was a
ggod turnout," said Salt Lick
Fire Captain Randy Crouch.
Several other emergency of-
ficials were there as well.
The fire department was
able to, "knock down," the
fire in the first floor of the
structure, but by then it
that were installed a couple
years ago, through a county-
wide grant through Eastern
Kentucky Injury Preven-
tion, initiated by Chief Friz-
zell. It, "saved lives already,"
Captain Crouch said.
Luckily the three small
children who would have
normally slept in the back
of the house where the fire
started, decided to ask their
mother, Leeann Kelley, to
pull a mattress into the
living room, so they could
watch cartoons and sleep
for the night. "My babies
are safe, that's all that mat-
ters," Kelley said.
The fire destroyed every-
thing the family owned, in-
cluding $1,000 they had just
withdrawn the day before to
buy a!amily car.
Although everything they
have is gone now, they were
comforted to have each oth-
er.
If you would like to send
a much needed donation to
the Downs family in wake
of this disaster, please mail
or take donations to Phyllis
Downs at 260 Spring Hollow
Road, Salt Lick Kentucky,
40371.
Citizens show overwhelming
support for Withrow benefit
pated. One of the churches
in particular, was the City of
Refuge Full Gospel Church,
which is located in Olympia
where the girls attended.
Members of the, 'qhe City of
Refuge," Judy Adams (wife
of Rev. David Adams who at-
tended), Crystal Dyer, and
Kim Munday, were on hand
to serve pulled pork BBQ as
well as various other sides
and desserts to the, "standing
room only," group of support-
ers who attended.
Among
people who attended, were
city and county officials in-
cluding, but not limited to,
Bath County Judge Execu-
tive, Carolyn Belcher, Ow-
ingsville Road Commissioner,
Ray Toy, Circuit Clerk, Clau-
dette Faudere, and Sheriff,
John, 'uffy/' Snedegar.
The auction at the Owings-
ville First Church of God had
a huge amount of donated
items, which Phillip Copher,
auctioneer, was very hap,
py to help sell. Among the
various cakes arid pies auc-
tioned here, included •a dog,
a vintage phonograph, many
high quality power tools,
children's items, and various
other items too numerable to
list.
the hundreds of_ The Owingsville First
Church of God's benefit and
auction was an overwhelm-
ing success, that was equal-
ly matched by the Midland
First Church of God's turn-
out and money collected.
At the Midland First
By Lacy Corey
Staff Writer
Church of God, pastored by
Rev. Bush Stevenson, the
crowd was massive, causing
a seat shortage.
Pulled pork and sides
were served here as well.
One church member, Pam
Cornett, said that she had
been up since 4am prepar-
ing for the event, while mak-
ing plate lunches for people
to take home at 7:30pm.
The auction in Midland,
auctioneered by Forest,
"Frosty," McKenzie, had a
host of baked goods, purses,
colognes, as well as many
other items, which, like the
Owingsville.gathering, is too
numerable to mention.
The county wide benefit,
initiated by the Bath County
Ministerial Association, had
The first ever, simultane-
ous 2 church event, which
was held for sisters, Lucy
and Kayla Withrow, who died
recently in a house fire in
Olympia, was held on Friday,
February 6th, from 5 through
8pm, at both the Owingsville
First Church of God's and
the Midland First Church of
God's Family Life Centers.
The benefit was a, "tremen-
dous success," said reverend
Lowell Rice, pastor of the
Owingsville First Church of
God.
Although these two church-
es hosted the event, many
area churches also partici-
i
Fax: (859) 499-0926
. OWINGSVILLE
1-64 Exit 121 * Across from Dollar General • 606-674-6280
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