Teen in dice game death will stand trial

Published 12:43 am Saturday, November 5, 2011

One Vicksburg teen will stand trial for murder in April, while two teenagers arrested with him for a May shooting death in the city were no-billed by the Warren County Grand Jury which was convened this week.

Also no-billed — meaning the grand jury decided there is not enough evidence to take the case to trial — was a Houston man accused of culpable negligence manslaughter in the shooting death of his co-worker, while two other homicide cases resulted in indictments on other-than-murder charges.

James Doyle Ransom, 19, 1717 Martha St. was indicted for depraved heart murder and arraigned in Warren County Circuit Court Friday by presiding Judge M. James Chaney.

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Ransom is accused of shooting 20-year-old Robert Banks, 226 High Hill Drive, whom District Attorney Ricky Smith said was a bystander watching a group of youths fight following a dice game in the 1700 block of Martha Street around 4 p.m. on May 31.

Smith said Ransom fired his gun at random and the bullet struck and killed Banks.

Jurors no-billed the teens arrested with Ransom — Michael Jackson, 19, also of 1717 Martha St., and Kendall Oliver, 14, 2200 Marshal St., whom police had charged with murder.

“We presented every bit of evidence that we had, and based on that, the grand jury felt that Oliver and Jackson had no criminal responsibility for the death of Mr. Banks,” Smith said. “They also felt the evidence showed that neither provided the weapon.”

Ransom’s trial date was set for April 2. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Jurors also no-billed Daniel Dodd, 28, of Tyler, Texas, who had been charged with culpable negligence manslaughter.

Dodd was arrested May 23 following the death of 26-year-old Michael Justin Tornero of Houston.

Dodd and Tornero had been hired by Entergy Mississippi as temporary security guards during the 2011 Mississippi River flood, and Tornero was fatally shot in the East Clay Street hotel room the men shared.

“The grand jury believed that it was an accident,” Smith said. “There was no indication that there was any dispute between the two and no evidence of any motive to indicate anything but an accident.”

The grand jury also considered two other homicide cases.

Jurors issued an indictment against Annette Scott, 45, 2910 Arcadia Place, for manslaughter-heat of passion in the June 13 stabbing death of her live-in boyfriend, Michael Terrance Smith, 45.

Scott was arraigned Friday, and her trial was set for March 26. If convicted, Scott faces a possible 20-year prison sentence, Smith said.

Corey Thompson, 26, 4880 U.S. 80, had been charged with capital murder in the death of Maurice Morris, 19, 2228 Grove St., on May 1.

Morris and Thompson were believed to have attempted to rob at gunpoint a resident of the Confederate Ridge Apartments at 780 U.S. 61 North. Instead, Morris was shot and killed by the victim.

While Mississippi statute allows a capital murder charge if a death occurs in the commission of another felony, Smith said the grand jury felt that the charge, generally used when the victim of a crime dies in its commission, did not apply in this case.

“They determined that the killing of a co-defendant during the commission of the crime does not fit the intent of the law,” Smith said.

Thompson was indicted, however, on two counts of armed robbery. His trial was set for April 9.

The panel of 18 grand jurors was sworn in Monday by Chaney, and completed its term Friday morning.

They reviewed evidence in 120 cases against 144 defendants, issuing indictments in 107 of the cases and returning 14 no bills. They reduced charges to misdemeanors in two cases and continued two others to the next term, which meets in January.

Indictments are not made public until defendants have been arraigned in circuit court, advised of the charges against them and assigned a trial date.

Chaney arraigned 68 defendants Friday. Others were rescheduled for next week.

Other defendants who were no-billed and their original charges were:

• Brittany Ashley, 22 — armed robbery, March 31.

• Detrick A. Fleming, 33 — kidnapping, July 13.

• Rondell Galvin, 40 — aggravated assault, May 15.

• Kyle Hall, 16 — armed robbery, March 31.

• Carmen Hancock, 42 — grand larceny, Aug. 14.

• Eugene Love Jr., 23 — kidnapping, Aug. 2.

• Amy Lee McAdam, 29 — grand larceny, July 12.

• Keydrick Mitchell, 23 — aggravated assault, May 15.

• Tajuana Pilcher33 — malicious mischief, May 25.

• James H. Thomas, 33 — aggravated assault, Sept. 11.

• Marcus Ware, 21 — molestation, Aug. 10.

Also indicted and arraigned Friday were:

• Larry Dale Anderson, 44, 915 Fifth North St. — receiving stolen property, March 9.

• Atreo Anderson, 21, 700 Cherry St. — vehicle burglary, April 30.

• Earnest B. Atkins, 21, 1030 Ryan St. — sale of a controlled substance, July 13.

• Johnny L. Barber Jr., 26, 158 Cain Ridge Road — grand larceny, July 18.

• Stacy Terrell Bester, 33, 1932 Sky Farm Ave. — armed robbery, Aug. 28.

• Shaniqua Tian Brown, 27, 734 Locust St. — uttering a forgery, Jan. 9 and June 17.

• Zachary Terrell Bryant, 23, 1117 Adams St. — possession of a controlled substance, Aug. 11.

• Artilious Burnett, 37, 37 Copiah St., Port Gibson — sale of a controlled substance, Aug. 3.

• Lance Thomas Burton, 24, 3749 Gowall Road — possession of a controlled substance, July 23.

• Dewanda Lachay Butler, 35, 207 Enchanted Drive — possession of a controlled substance, April 15.

• Alicia Carroll, 34, 2540 Culkin Road — statutory rape, victim age 14 or 15.

• Horatio D. Carson, 25, 4832 U.S. 61 South — possession of a controlled substance, Aug. 30.

• Johnathan David Clark Jr., 18, 1613 Lane St. — burglary of a dwelling, June 12.

• Elizabeth May Cole, 34, 1441 Harrison St., Apt. B — statutory rape, victim age 14 or 15, Feb. 25.

• Tommy Curtis Sr., 47, 1614 South St. — sale of a controlled substance, June 29.

• Dock Davis, 30, 1950 Hope St., Apt. 6B — possession of a controlled substance, Aug. 23.

• Ellen Chanel Davis, 21, 2809 Arcadia St. — malicious mischief, May 8.

• Otis Lee Davis Jr., 26, 2709 Drummond St. — sale of a controlled substance, Aug. 9; possession of a controlled substance and fleeing or eluding a law enforcement officer, Aug. 10.

• Marques Demby, 25, 1123 Casey Road, Utica — two counts sale of a controlled substance, July 13 and July 19.

• Galbrial Nicole Dixon Floyd, 30, 141 Morningview Drive — aggravated assault-domestic violence, Aug. 27.

• Steven Galey, 36, 203 Springridge Drive — two counts prescription forgery, May 12.

• Derron Green, 38, 3309 Center St., Jackson — burglary, non-residential and vehicle burglary, Sept. 25.

• David W. Grogan, 23, 60 Roy Young Road — statutory rape, victim age 14 or 15, Sept. 2.

• Raymond Horace Guin, 38, 3365 U.S. 61 South, Lot 19 — simple assault on a law enforcement officer, Sept. 3.

• Derrick Hall, 30, 1204 Howard St. — two counts sale of a controlled substance, July 13.

• Tarik Deshon Hall, 18, 334 Shady Lane — burglary of a dwelling, June 20.

• Udaya Rosetta Hall, 31, 705 W. Scott St., Apt. 9, Tallulah — embezzlement, Aug. 5-22.

• Denise Darsell Heard, 31, 2601 Roosevelt Ave. — forgery-counterfeit instrument, March 5.

• Charles Henry Jackson, 62, 457 Standard Hill Road — two counts possession of a controlled substance and five counts possession of a weapon after felony conviction, March 16.

• Ricky Wayne Jenkins, 26, 1245 Mount Alban Road, Lot 1 — two counts aggravated assault with extreme indifference, June 5.

• Michael Curtis Johnson, 30, who gave addresses of 1110 Second North St. and 1171 Second North St. — sale of a controlled substance, Aug. 18 and Aug. 23, and possession of a controlled substance, Aug. 26.

• Jordan Lamichael Jones, 17, 3540 Sunset Drive, Apt. D3-2, Jackson — receiving stolen property and armed carjacking, June 15.

• Nathan David Kirkley, 23, 105 Churchill Drive — armed robbery, March 31.

• Freddie Lake, 20, 308 Overlook Drive — grand larceny, June 10.

• Jessie Lumpkin III, 18, 80 Dunigan Road — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, May 9 and May 12, and two counts burglary of a dwelling and two counts grand larceny, May 19.

• Etoine Deshawn Mayfield Jr., 18, 3540 Sunset Drive, Apt. B1-2, Jackson — armed carjacking and possession of a stolen firearm, June 15.

• Daniel Lewis Miller, 40, 100 Jones Road, No. 5 — possession of precursor substances, March 30.

• Alerick Dequan Powell, 18, 105 South Drive — burglary of a dwelling, May 16, May 26 and Aug. 15, and grand larceny, May 16.

• Joshua W. Presson, 20, 125 Timberlane Drive — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, April 19.

• Gary Daniels Pruitt, 30, 1790 Fisher Ferry Road — embezzlement, April 4.

• Quan’neisheia Phonjulia Pugh, 20, 1415 First North St. — embezzlement under contract, June 29.

• Chauncy Deon Rankin, 21, 2991 N. Washington St. — sale of a controlled substance, July 20 and July 22, and possession of a controlled substance, July 31.

• Marsha Ann Reid, 55, 2097 Grange Hall Road — prescription forgery, June 16.

• Jacourtney Jashad Rogers, 18, 1201 Farmer St. — burglary of a dwelling, May 26.

• Mark Anthony Ross, 24, 2714 Oak St. — vehicle burglary, April 30.

• Antoinette Savage, 53, 1111 Fayette St. — credit card fraud, Oct. 15.

• Deborah Rogers Shackleford, 59, 116 Linda Drive — six counts of false pretenses, April 1-July 31.

• Linda Marie Sheppard, 41, 2628 Roosevelt Ave. — shooting into a dwelling house, Aug. 22.

• Kemrod Short Jr., 20, 1922 Sky Farm Ave. — molesting, Oct. 31.

• Chris Lee Smith, 43, 4 Marion Bragg Drive — burglary-non-residential, May 4.

• Jerry Lee Stampley Jr., 41, 3619 Security St. — driving under the influence, third offense, Aug. 28.

• Demarcus Kentrell Thomas, 16, 130 Alcorn Drive — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, May 9 and May 12, and two counts burglary of a dwelling and two counts grand larceny, May 19.

• Gerald Tyrone Vaughn, 33, 1011 Second North St. — armed robbery, Aug. 28.

• Shelbey Leon West, 31, 122 Abraham Drive — possession of a controlled substance, Feb. 21.

• Cody T. Whitehead, 18, 4602 Halls Ferry Road — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, April 19.

• Justin Whitehead, 42, 4813 Nailor Road — larceny-motor vehicle, Sept. 2.

• Aretha Williams, 26, 780 U.S. 61 North, Apt. 21-B — child abuse, April 22-June 24.

• Crystal Williams, 23, 1302 Lincoln Trace Circle Southeast, Smyrna, Ga. — possession of a controlled substance, April 7.

• Lavator Johnell Williams, 38, 313 Pleasant Valley Road — uttering a forgery, Aug. 21.

• Quenterius Cortez Williams, 17, 119 Elizabeth Circle — burglary of a dwelling, April 29.

• Ruben Kristopher Williams, 19, 4909 Gibson Road — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, April 19.

• Terry Glenn Wooten Jr., 30, 2505 Warriors Trail, Lot 14 — possession of a weapon after felony conviction, Aug. 17.

• Malcolm Cordele Wright, 22, 4737 Lee Road — sale of a controlled substance, June 22.

• Chase A. Youmans, 20, 4816 Gibson Road — burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, April 19.

• Jeffery Fitzgerald Young, 46, 208 Manship Circle — sale of a controlled substance, July 14.