Louisa man indicted on murder charge

By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor

LOUISA — The Lawrence County Grand Jury returned 14 indictments last Tuesday, July 14, including a murder charge against a Louisa man. Christopher L. Bailey, 41, is charged with murder in the death of his wife, JoBeth Butcher, on April 9. Police said at the time that Bailey drove Butcher to Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa and told officers that she was not breathing and had ingested poison. Officers, who had followed Bailey’s vehicle to the hospital after they saw him driving recklessly and with his flashers on, observed severe bruising on Butcher’s face and she was unresponsive, according to a press issued by the Louisa Police Department at the time of the incident. A nurse showed officers pictures of Butcher’s wounds, a criminal complaint said, and she had “very large bruises” all over her body that appeared to be from a violent encounter. Bailey stated that the bruises were not all from him, indicating that they had been involved in an altercation in which he did cause some of the damage to her body, the complaint says.
When asked where the other bruises came from, Bailey had no explanation as to the cause, the complaint said.
Others named in indictments last Tuesday were:
• Rodney Robertson, 42; Samantha Thompson, 30; and Chester Blevins Jr., 53, all of Fort Gay, W.Va., charged with importing heroin/complicity for allegedly, acting alone or in complicity with each other, transporting with the intent to sell or distribute the drug on June 17, 2019.
Blevins is additionally charged with two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, operating on a suspended or revoked operator’s license and no/expired registration plates for allegedly possessing heroin, operating a vehicle while his license was suspended or revoked and without proper registration.
• Homer Hale Jr., 40, of Louisa, charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property under $500 for allegedly entering a house on Wheeler Branch in Blaine owned by Ryan Hamilton with the intent to commit theft; possessing methamphetamine, a syringe containing chemical residue and plastic baggies; and possessing items valued under $500 stolen from Hamilton on Dec. 25, 2019.
• Carrie Watts, 37, of Blaine, charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and use/possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and two syringes, and destroying, removing, altering or concealing physical evidence that she believed would be used against her in an official proceeding on June 19.
• Tammy Jo Evans, 48, of Louisa, and Joseph A. Smith, also known as Joseph Davis, 44, of Webbville, charged with second-degree burglary, receiving stolen property under $500 and third-degree criminal mischief for allegedly entering a house on Newcombe Lane in Louisa owned by Alan Sanders with the intent to commit theft; possessing numerous curtains, a light fixture, and light switch cover plates and plate covers, with a value under $500, stolen from property owned by Sanders; and damaging Sanders’ property on April 30.
Evans is additionally charged with first-degree persistent felony offender for having previously been convicted of two felonies.
• Josh Douglas, 22, of Frankfort, charged with four counts of first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree persistent felony offender and public intoxication (excluding alcohol) for allegedly damaging a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, a 2009 Volkswagon Tiguan, a 2001 Ford F-150 and a 2009 Honda Odyssey owned by Car City on May 22; and for having previously been convicted of a felony.
• Cody Harless, 21, of Tomahawk, charged with trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school and public intoxication (excluding alcohol) for allegedly possessing methamphetamine, $166 in cash, digital scales, a glass pipe and altered straws with the intent to traffic or by trafficking in the meth within 1,000 yards of Louisa East Elementary and for appearing in a public setting manifestly under the influence of controlled substances or other drugs on May 2.
• Shannon Jude, 43, of Louisa, charged with second-degree escape and first-degree persistent felony offender for allegedly escaping the custody of the 24th Judicial Circuit Community Corrections Program by fleeing his registered residence, where he was being monitored by an ankle device, on March 14, and for having previously been convicted of two felonies.
• Paul T. Hackney, 38, of Louisa, charged with receiving stolen property over $10,000 and selling or receiving a vehicle with a removed or altered VIN for allegedly possessing a vehicle stolen from West Virginia valued at more than $500 with an altered vehicle identification number plate on May 22.
• Joey Davis, 44, of Webbville, and David Harmon, 59, of Louisa, charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (less than two grams)/complicity and possession/use of drug paraphernalia/complicity for allegedly, acting alone or in complicity with each other, possessing .054 grams of methamphetamine and two syringes on July 3.
Additionally, Harmon is charged with third-degree possession of a controlled substance for allegedly possessing suboxone and Davis with tampering with physical evidence for allegedly destroying, removing, altering or concealing physical evidence that he believed would be used against him in an official proceeding.
(Editor’s note: An indictment is not an indication of guilt but a determination by a grand jury that criminal charges warrant further judicial review.)