Kidnapping Victim ‘Too Terrified’ to Flee the Way, He Sex- Finally Convinced Gaston to Let Trial Witness Offers Jury Horrific Details Ually Assaulted Her Go
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 15, 2018 Kidnapping victim ‘too terrified’ to flee the way, he sex- finally convinced Gaston to let Trial witness offers jury horrific details ually assaulted her go. her several more “I honestly have no idea of defendant assaulting her, driving her to West Point times, twice pull- (how I convinced him),” she ing the car over said. “I assume I was calm. BY ISABELLE ALTMAN to West Point three years ago, Mart on Military Road in the and once while “I got out of the car and I just [email protected] her only goal was survival. early morning of Feb. 11, 2015, he was still driv- ran as fast as I possibly could,” It was the first day of witness forcing two employees into the Gaston ing. she added. The victim in a kidnapping, testimony in the trial of Gaston, back room of the store at gun- “When you’re During cross examination, armed robbery and sexual bat- 36, who faces two counts each point, sexually assaulting them in that situation, you don’t Gaston’s attorney, Steve Wal- tery case told a Lowndes Coun- of kidnapping, armed robbery and then driving one of them to know what you’re going to do,” lace, questioned why the vic- ty jury Wednesday that when and sexual battery, as well as West Point in a stolen car. the witness said on the stand. tim didn’t grab the gun or run Autravious Gaston kidnapped grand larceny. Gaston is ac- The victim who was driven Once they reached West when she had the chance. He her at gunpoint and drove her cused of robbing the Sprint to West Point told the jury on Point city limits, she said, she See TRIAL, 3A Woman jailed QUALITY TIME Police dressed for allegedly as joggers stabbing nab man for husband indecent Deputies find trail exposure BY AleX HOllOWAY of blood at scene [email protected] leading to victim STARKVILLE DISPATCH STAFF REPORT — Police arrested a Starkville man A Lowndes Wednesday morn- County man was ing for a year’s hospitalized with worth of indecent serious injuries exposure in the University Drive and his wife ar- Duke rested for at- area. tempted murder Starkville police arrested after she alleged- James Harmon Duke, 22, on sus- Harkins ly stabbed him picion of seven counts of misde- Wednesday. meanor indecent exposure that Charity Jasandra Harkins, span from February 2017 to this 28, of 10569 Highway 69 S., month. turned herself in to Lowndes Police started receiving re- County Sheriff’s Office Wednes- ports of a naked individual in the day on the charge. area around University Drive in Deputies responded to a 911 February 2017. The sightings call at Harkins’ home Wednes- stopped once an investigation day shortly after midnight after into the matter began, according the victim’s mother called say- to an SPD press release. ing her son was being attacked, However, in the weeks lead- according to the initial police ing up to Duke’s arrest, SPD report. Deputies arrived at the started getting more calls about scene to find the victim’s father a naked person in the same area. there. Deputies found a trail of The person, according to com- blood on the front porch which plaints, was typically spotted be- led into and throughout the tween 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. house. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Starkville police, dressed as According to Lowndes Coun- Paula Cummings and her grandson, Aidan McClenton, 5, enjoy a walk together in joggers, arrested Duke at about See STABBING, 3A downtown West Point while shopping on Tuesday. See EXPOSURE, 3A Water main break disrupts South Montgomery area Residents remain under boil water on scene for the rest of Water seeps the day as they attempted from under- notice until at least Saturday to shut off the water along neath the the portion of the line that street around South Mont- BY AleX HOllOWAY with water pushing up broke to make the repair. gomery and [email protected] into the roadway through It took about eight Locksley Way a break in a line under the hours for crews to repair in Starkville STARKVILLE — A northbound side of South the break, but Starkville from a broken water main break caused Montgomery Street be- Utilities Director Terry water line major disruptions to por- tween Locksley Way and Kemp confirmed repair Wednesday. tions of south Starkville Lynn Lane, near the en- work finished at about 9 Residents for most of the day in the area trance to the Sherwood p.m. remain under Wednesday. Commons neighborhood. Kemp said crews ul- a boil water The break happened Starkville Utilities De- timately found a failure notice. between noon and 1 p.m., partment crews remained See WATER MAIN, 8A Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Who was the first female poet to MEETINGS Today through Saturday Feb. 20: Colum- receive a Pulitzer Prize posthumously, ■ “Love Letters”: The West Point/Clay County Arts in 1982? bus City Council, Council presents the play “Love Letters” at 7 p.m. at the 2 What U.S. state has given its name 5 p.m., Munici- to a chemical element? Louise Campbell Center for the Arts, 235 Commerce St., 3 Which is not an actual competition West Point. (For adult audiences.) Tickets $10 at Petal pal Complex — bog snorkeling, cheese rolling or Pushers and First United Methodist Church, West Point. Feb 28: Maylen Borden tub thumping? Lowndes County 4 What country governs Christmas Pre-K, Annunciation Supervisors, 9 Island? Friday a.m., County 5 In the movie “Easy Rider,” what city ■ Eye Opener: The West Point/Clay County Growth Courthouse are Wyatt and Billy headed to? Alliance hosts a networking Eye Opener, 7-8 a.m. at High 76 Low 61 March 6: the Louise Campbell Center for the Arts, 235 Com- Mostly cloudy Answers, 8B Columbus Full forecast on merce St., West Point. City Council, 5 page 2A. ■ Masquerade Ball: This Columbus Arts Council gala at Trotter Convention Center honors Trudy Gildea p.m., Municipal and includes live and silent auctions, music. Call 662- Complex INSIDE 328-2787 (closed Mondays) for ticket availability. March 20: Business 4A Dear Abby 7B ■ UAB Trio: The Leslie F. Threadgill Lecture and Artist Columbus Classifieds8B Obituaries 5A Series presents the UAB Trio at 7:30 p.m. in Poindexter City Council, 5 Comics 7B Opinions 6A Hall on the campus of Mississippi University for Women. p.m., Municipal 138TH YEAR, NO. 288 Crossword 6B Free. Stephen Tucker works at Kroger. Complex DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “The players are itching to get that win, but at the same time they’re not losing sight of playing their Jeep in hot water over ad with game and not letting the nerves get to them.” SUV romping in wild waters Thursday MUW baseball coach Matt Wolfenbarger. Story, 1B. ‘Fish are tough and resilient critters, but they don’t do well with several- MARDI GRAS AT ACS thousand-pound vehicles driving over their spawning grounds ...’ BY SCOTT SONNER and supporters own Jeeps, The Associated Press but the images were upset- ting. RENO, Nev. — The “Fish are tough and head of one of the nation’s resilient critters, but they largest fish conservation don’t do well with sev- groups says Fiat Chrys- eral-thousand-pound ve- ler’s Super Bowl ads “glo- hicles driving over their rified” the destruction of spawning grounds, tearing aquatic habitat in an ap- up the gravel where they parent attempt to appeal to lay eggs,” he said. “Why off-road thrill-seekers. someone would want to It’s the second time ads put out the idea that you by the automaker have should buy a Jeep so you drawn complaints since could drive it up a creek is the Feb. 4 game. incomprehensible to me.” Trout Unlimited Presi- The Reno Gazette-Jour- dent and CEO Chris Wood nal first reported the ad said Wednesday that one flap last week. Pam Har- ad gave the impression a rington, Trout Unlimited’s Jeep Cherokee was splash- Nevada field coordinator, ing down the middle of a told the newspaper she wild streambed. was upset because she’s Fiat Chrysler is defend- worked with ATV clubs in ing the ads but says there Idaho repairing damage Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff are no plans to run them caused by irresponsible Annunciation Catholic School students celebrate Mardi Gras in their school gym with dancing and conga lines again. It says the spot with drivers. after receiving beaded necklaces and MoonPies Tuesday. the Cherokee was shot on Stream habitat im- a flooded county road and provements are part of the another with a Jeep Wran- decadeslong efforts to pro- gler was filmed in a man- tect endangered salmon made lake with a man- in the Pacific Northwest, made waterfall on private where research shows riv- land. erbank disturbances and Kelly Nguyen Wood said many of his sedimentation chokes off and John group’s 300,000 members fish eggs. Pryse Tomp- kins, both 13, lead the Mardi Gras CONTACTING THE DISPATCH parade of Office hours: Main line: children in n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 Annuncia- tion Catholic HOW DO I ... Email a letter to the editor? School’s gym n [email protected] Tuesday. Report a missing paper? Kelly is the n 662-328-2424 ext.