County man will be tried for son’s death Trial scheduled for Feb. 27

Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 30, 2011

A Warren County man accused of shooting and killing his son was arraigned in Warren County Circuit Court Friday after being indicted for murder this week by the grand jury.

Winifred Gene Allen, 64, 2255 Freetown Road, is accused of the May 26 death of Gerald Wayne “Jerry” Allen, who was 36 and lived at 1626 Broadhill Drive.

Allen’s defense attorney, Eugene Perrier, entered a not guilty plea before presiding Judge Isadore Patrick.

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Allen’s trial was set for Feb. 27.

Investigators said the father and son had been arguing and had exchanged a series of heated text messages the day of the shooting. They said Jerry Allen drove to 1254 Dillon Ridge Road, where Winifred Allen was visiting friends, and had just stepped out of his vehicle to confront his father when he was shot multiple times.

Winifred Allen was arrested at the site, and since has been held on a $150,000 bond in the Warren County Jail.

Perrier asked Patrick for a bond reduction, which Patrick said he would consider at a hearing Aug. 12.

Grand jurors were selected and sworn in by Patrick Monday. During their term of service, they reviewed evidence in 123 cases against 135 defendants.

Besides Allen, jurors issued a murder indictment against 14-year-old Tyla Vega, who is accused of shooting to death her stepmother, Michelle Vega, on May 2. Vega, held without bond in the Warren County Jail, was arraigned Thursday.

Two other homicide cases expected to be presented this week will be held until the next term of the grand jury because some of the case documentation was not complete, District Attorney Ricky Smith said Friday.

The cases against Corey Thompson, 25, 4880 U.S. 80, and Daniel O’Neil Dodd, 28, of Tyler, Texas, probably will be presented in October, Smith said.

Thompson was charged with armed robbery and capital murder in the May 1 death of Maurice Morris, 19, 2228 Grove St.

Dodd was charged with culpable negligence manslaughter following the accidental shooting death of his co-worker, Michael Justin Tornero, May 23 at the Econo Lodge, 3959 E. Clay St.

During their service, grand jurors meet with law enforcement and prosecutors and reviewed evidence in criminal cases, issuing indictments where enough evidence exists to proceed to trial and no-bills where evidence is insufficient.

Indictments are not made public until defendants are arraigned in circuit court — formally advised of the charges against them and given a trial date.

Grand jurors also tour the jail, the Warren County Children’s Shelter and the Youth Court, and issue a report of recommendations to county officers.

On Friday, Patrick arraigned 42 defendants in 54 cases, issued arrest warrants for defendants not reporting for arraignment and set an Aug. 12 date for final arraignments.

Others arraigned Friday and their charges:

• Clarissa Shawna Alexander, 21, 1313 Jefferson St. — domestic violence, third offense, April 11.

• Sherry Ranae Balthrop, 41, 200 Enchanted Drive — possession of a controlled substance, May 31.

• Meageale Bell, 27, 1417 Hayes St., Apt. A — sale of a controlled substance, May 23.

• Lorenzo Fabian Bryant, 26, 708 Lee St. — domestic violence, third offense, June 2.

• Iris B. Wells Campbell, 36, 1213 Warrenton Road — embezzlement, October 2010 to Jan. 31, 2011.

• Jaharvey Caples, 21, 448 Boy Scout Road — possession of a stolen firearm, Jan. 20.

• LaRhonda Clark, 34, 2727 Alcorn Drive — felony malicious mischief, May 10.

• Raleigh Davis, 57, 106 Alfred Drive — aggravated assault-domestic violence, March 29.

• Rachel Diane Foster, 31, 50 Old Pettway Road — manufacture of a controlled substance, March 4.

• William Samuel Foster, 32, 50 Old Pettway Road — manufacture of a controlled substance, March 4.

• Jeremy Dwayne Johnson, 24, 35 Smith Road — possession of a controlled substance, March 14.

• Kieone J. Jones, 19, 220 Greenbriar Drive — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Oct. 15; receiving stolen property, Dec. 6; burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Dec. 6.

• Jeffery Edward Kennedy, 34, 215 Bluecreek Drive — possession of a controlled substance, Nov. 12.

• Kameron J. Lamb, 17, 110 Overlook Drive — possession of a stolen firearm, Dec. 29.

• Mitchell Vaughn Lewis, 25, 3066 Lewis Road, Port Gibson — sale of a controlled substance, March 17; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, March 21.

• Billy Joe Love Jr., 28, 609 Redbone Road — receiving stolen property, Nov. 13, and grand larceny, Jan. 5.

• Gregory Mason, 19, 300 Overlook Drive — possession of a stolen firearm and receiving stolen property, Dec. 30.

• Koury Terrell Moore, 35, 1200 Mission 66, Apt. 115 — false pretenses, March 1.

• Kevin Damon Phillips, 21, 226 Greenbriar Drive — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Dec. 6.

• Ashley Ann O’Connor, 33, 4041 Washington St. — burglary of a dwelling, May 28.

• Kristin Nicole Prentiss, 38, 1705 Main St. — possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, April 25.

• Raymond Sanders, 46, 1901 Court St. — possession of a controlled substance, April 13.

• Everette Scott, 19, 214 Overlook Drive — possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, Dec. 30.

• Schayne Glenn Smith, 50, 733 Stenson Road — possession of a controlled substance, April 13.

• Wilon Smith, 32, 225 Buena Vista Drive — possession of a controlled substance, April 13; and sale of a controlled substance, April 27.

• Willie James Spratley, 31, 3785 Flowers Hill Road — three cases sale of a controlled substance, March 21, March 24 and March 28.

• Terris Torrell Stevenson, 38, 2909 Oak St. — aggravated assault-domestic violence and shooting into a dwelling, May 13.

• Carlton Dwayne Thomas, 35, 1816 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. — sale of a controlled substance, Dec. 30.

• Rodney Laurits Thomas, 31, 71 Bellaire Drive — possession of a stolen firearm, Nov. 23.

• Steven Louis Thomas, 39, 1213 Randolph St. — driving under the influence, third offense, May 1.

• Timothy Tillman Jr., 20, 3208 Victory Ave. — attempted burglary of a dwelling, Jan. 24.

• Virginia Rees Tyler, 25, 225 Sea Island Drive, Eagle Lake — two counts uttering a forgery, June 20.

• Kendrick Dwayne Valentine, 24, 106 Kelly Circle — possession of a controlled substance, March 4.

• Freddie Eugene Walker, 45, 207 Enchanted Drive — possession of a controlled substance, March 19.

• Jacoby Jamal Walker, 18, 1612 Bodley St. — burglary of a dwelling, Feb. 19.

• Michael Kaven Warren, 36, 1301 South St. — aggravated assault, Sept. 23.

• Darlene Wells, 44, 300 Enchanted Drive — embezzlement, March 12.

• Gerald Chris Williams, 18, 235 Greenbriar Drive — receiving stolen property Dec. 6; burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Dec. 6.

• Mary Elizabeth Williamson, 23, 4201 Lee Road — receiving stolen property, May 28.

• Jonathan Dwayne Woodson, 30, 2160 S. Frontage Road, Apt. 3F — burglary of a dwelling and armed robbery, Dec. 24.

• Gerald T. Young, 19, 110 Overlook Drive — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Oct. 15; burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Nov. 27; receiving stolen property, Dec. 6; burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, Dec. 6.