Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation positively identified the female murder victim found shot and burned in Coffee County as Connie Lou Brown (DOB 02/18/1962) of McMinnville. She has no fixed street address. At this time, no arrests have been made in the case. We appreciate the media’s help in this case. 

At approximately 12:35 p.m. on Saturday (March 9, 2013) the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a body being discovered near the Summitville Cave. Deputies discovered a white female who had been badly burned and believed to have been murdered and her body dumped.

Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Shelbyville Police Department over the weekend charged a Shelbyville man in a foiled murder-for-hire scheme after he solicited another individual to kill his wife and a prospective business partner.

David Lee Claxton, 59, of 2189 Warner Bridge Road, was charged with attempted first degree murder and solicitation of first degree murder on Saturday, and booked into the Bedford County Jail without bond early Sunday. TBI’s investigation revealed that Claxton attempted to hire someone to kill Johnny Overstreet, 52, a potential business partner who he had a arranged business deal involving a large sum of money to take the money for himself. He also planned to have his wife, Vickie Claxton, 57, killed to collect life insurance money. The amount of the money is unknown. Claxton took more substantial steps in planning to have Overstreet killed resulting in the attempted first degree murder charge. Claxton was arrested while a search warrant was being executed on his residence as part of the investigation.

TBI was requested by the 17th District Attorney General and Shelbyville Police Department to investigate. Claxton is scheduled to appear in court on March 26, 2013.

 

    Construction is now complete on a concrete helipad for the Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter based in Lewisburg. The helipad was a joint effort among the Belfast Volunteer Fire Department, the Belfast Lions , First National Bank, Belfast Presbyterian Church and Beech Construction, which donated the labor for the new helipad. It is the third concrete helipad in Marshall County.

      “This pad will help Air Evac Lifeteam and the citizens of Marshall County by providing a safe, well lit, pre-designated landing area,” said Air Evac Lifeteam Program Director Jon Guthrie. “Sites like this are the best way for Air Evac Lifeteam crews to land safely to minimize the hazards that go along with an aircraft landing.”

      The helipad project took approximately six months to complete. The Belfast Lions Club donated the land on which to build the helipad. Belfast Fire Chief Ricky Cozart said the helipad would be an asset in the Belfast community.

      “When it saves the first life, it will be worth all of the planning and hard work that has gone into it,” Cozart said.

      The Lewisburg Air Evac Lifeteam crew began operations in May 1999, and serves hospitals and communities within a 70-mile radius. Crews, which include a pilot, nurse and paramedic, can fly directly to the scenes of medical emergencies or make hospital transfers. Air Evac operates more than 110 bases in 15 states throughout the central United States.

      For more information about Air Evac Lifeteam, call 1-800-793-0010 or visit www.lifeteam.net. For membership information, please call David Copeland at 931-637-5304.

Story according to the Daily Herald

Mt. Pleasant High School’s star quarterback received probation after pleading guilty Tuesday to facilitation of child rape, a charge stemming from a sexual encounter with a 12-year-old girl.

Princeton Harlan’s suspended 10-year prison sentence requires him to remain under court supervision for the same period. Under the terms of the agreement, Harlan’s name will be added to the state’s sex offender registry, and he is forbidden from having contact with the victim for the full 10-year probation period.

Harlan had been out of jail on $100,000 bond after being arrested at Mt. Pleasant High School on Oct. 10. He was initially charged with one Class A felony count of rape of a child. The facilitation charge to which he pleaded guilty is a Class D felony carrying an 8-12 year sentence.

Two of his teammates, ages 16 and 17, were initially charged as juveniles with raping the girl, but were later moved to Circuit Court to be tried as adults. Court action there is pending.

Investigators said the sex was not forcible; rather the trio was charged because of the girl’s age. She is now 13. The incident was reported after the victim’s family learned she was pregnant. The pregnancy was later terminated.

The FBI was processing DNA evidence to determine paternity; those results have not been made public.

Harlan’s indictment alleged he had sexual intercourse with the girl in July. Had the case gone to trial, Harlan faced a potential prison sentence of 25-40 years and a fine of up to $50,000.

A senior and captain of the high school football team at the time of the offense, Harlan was a three-year starting quarterback. Several Division I schools showed interest in recruiting him, including Auburn University, the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. Latta said Harlan intends to go to college, but that the terms of his probation may limit his choices.

LEWISBURG, TN. — You have just added a new baby to your household. You are happy, excited and probably concerned that while you are asleep, your newborn is in danger of crib death. Marshall Medical Center (MMC) wants you to know how to keep your new bundle of joy safe. 

Recent research has shown that the risk of crib death is greatly reduced if babies sleep on their backs. While no one knows for certain why this is the case, some theories have been advanced as credible. 

Mattresses may contain microbes that can interfere with the baby’s breathing. Infants sleeping on their stomachs may have their faces so close to the sheets that they do not get enough oxygen. Another theory is that if a mattress is too soft, a baby sleeping on his or her stomach can suffocate as the mattress yields to the baby’s body weight. This is why you should never let a baby sleep on a waterbed. Do not cover the mattress with any plastic covering as this can also lead to suffocation. 

When considering your baby’s bed, be sure your baby’s mattress is firm and that the bed is stable. Also make certain the bottom is made of one solid piece of material rather than slats and that bars on the sides of the bed are no more than 2 ½ inches apart and at least 24 inches high so that the baby can’t crawl or climb out or get its head stuck. 

Parents should not put toys or other objects in the bed that a baby could get caught in. The baby’s pillow should be light and of suitable size. Do not let the baby have an adult pillow. It is not good for the baby’s back and it also creates another danger of suffocation. 

It is good that your baby learns to sleep in his or her own crib but keep your baby sleeping nearby so you can hear any cries of distress. Also be sure your baby is warm but not too hot. Babies should be taken to the doctor for regular checkups. Anytime the baby seems sick or has trouble breathing, take him or her to your doctor or to a clinic.

Smoking around newborns is a major contributing factor to infant crib death. If you smoke, under no circumstances do it around your baby. In a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that exposure to tobacco smoke raised the risk of crib death by 3.5 times. 

MMC hopes these tips are helpful. Should you have any questions about your newborn’s safety, please do not hesitate to contact your pediatrician’s office. Women’s and children’s services as well as expectant parent classes are available at Maury Regional Medical Center. To learn more, visit mauryregional.com.