One indicted, four are freed in homicides|[5/05/06]

Published 12:00 am Friday, May 5, 2006

One of six people charged in slaying cases faces trial and four were to be released following action by this week’s grand jury.

An indictment in one, the slaying of a Vicksburg woman who was found dead downtown Oct. 15, was made public Thursday.

William Presley Brown, 32, 801 Clay St. Apt. 5-F, was indicted for murder in the slaying of Chenara Young, 43, 1303 Wood St., who authorities said was beaten to death with a baseball bat sometime after she was last seen alive, on Oct. 13. Her body was found beside a trash receptacle at The Vicksburg Apartments, 801 Clay St.

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Jurors declined to indict three people charged in the May 8 shooting death of Kennado Caples, who was 26 and lived at 2708 Letitia St.

Jurors no-billed, or declined to indict, in the cases against Dwight Albert, 31, 60 Eastover Drive, Apt. J1, and Larry Devon Hamblin, 27, 718 Main St., who had both been charged with capital murder, and Kathryn Blue, 27, 1107 Stadium Drive, charged with accessory to capital murder.

&#8220There was not sufficient evidence to rise to the level of probable cause,” District Attorney Gil Martin said of the cases against the suspects after the grand jury delivered its report Thursday afternoon in Warren County Circuit Court.

Police Chief Tommy Moffett said he personally spoke about the case with the grand jury.

&#8220I feel they put a lot of thought into it and did what they felt was right,” Moffett said of the members of the panel. &#8220But my own personal belief is that three criminals walked free.”

Moffett added that police had the evidence they could get in the case.

&#8220We wish we’d have had more and if we’d had more we feel as if there would’ve been a different outcome,” Moffett said. &#8220It’s unfortunate, but it’s our system. It’s a good system and we feel the grand jury was within the system.”

Caples was shot and killed early May 8, a Sunday, by a masked man who forced open the door of his home, police said at the time.

Nearly five months later, on Oct. 4, the three people were arrested.

The men have remained in the Warren County Jail since. Blue was released on bond because she is pregnant, Martin has said.

All were to be released today.

The slaying was one of five in the past five years, including three who were killed last year, in which evidence was presented to grand jurors this week.

In the third 2005 slaying, Benjamin Brooks, 30, 469 Union Ave., has been charged with murder in the Oct. 23 death of Derral Holmes, who was 25 and lived at 933 Bowmar Ave. Authorities allege Holmes was also beaten to death with a baseball bat, near the carwash T&S Tunnel Express, 3530 Pemberton Square Blvd.

Indictments are made public after suspects have had an opportunity to be arraigned, or informed in court of the charges against them. Thursday’s arraignments were for suspects in jail.

More arraignments, including of people out on bond, were scheduled for today. If Brooks is indicted his arraignment is expected to be among them.

And the Vicksburg man who was accused of killing his mother and stepfather in 2001 but who had been found incompetent to stand trial also had the case against him no-billed.

Levi Bland, 37, Roosevelt Ave., was charged with two counts of murder in the Dec. 29, 2001, slayings of the couple, Annie and Egnation Davenport, who were both 52 and shared their home with Bland.

Indictments are returned when at least 12 of 18 to 21 grand jurors vote that enough evidence exists for a case to proceed to trial.

Cases that are no-billed remain open and prosecution of them can be continued or resumed. The discovery after a no-bill had been returned of new evidence in such a case could trigger the resumption of its prosecution, Martin has said.

Others who were arraigned Thursday on indictments returned this week, with charges against them, were:.

Robert E. Berry, 23, 35 Kings Crossing, sale of cocaine