Trial Set for House Parent Accused of Sexual Battery
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY MONDAY | AUGUST 20, 2018 Trial set for house parent accused of sexual battery Count one of the in- Copes bond was set at $40,000 and he Third trial for accused murderer slated to start this week dictment states the grand has been out on bond since 2014. jury found evidence that Copes and his wife, Kara, were ter- DISPATCH STAFF REPORT Seth Copes, 44, is accused of mo- Copes “did unlawfully, minated soon after the allegations lesting eight-year-old twin girls in May willfully and feloniously, emerged for reasons not related to the Editor’s Note: The following report 2006, although the girls did not come engage in sexual penetra- alleged incident, according to Palmer contains explicit descriptions of sexual forward until 2012, when the children re- tion” of one of the sisters Home CEO Drake Bassett. acts against children. lated multiple incidents of sexual touch- Copes by “inserting his penis Kara Copes has not been charged. ing by Copes to their grandmother. into her mouth.” Copes is represented by Patrick Rand Twelve years after the alleged crime Following an investigation, Copes Count two states Copes of Richland. Assistant District Attorney and five years after his indictment, a was arrested and charged with sexual “did unlawfully, willfully and felonious- Collen Hudson will prosecute the case. former Palmer Home house parent will battery and was indicted by a grand jury ly, engage in sexual penetration” of the If convicted, Copes will face 20 years stand trial before Judge Jim Kitchens in on two charges of sexual battery on Oct. other sister by “inserting his finger into to life in prison. circuit court. 25, 2013. her vagina.” See CIRCUIT COURT, 6A One man killed MOVE-IN DAY in weekend shooting in West Point No suspect is in custody yet DISPATCH STAFF REPORT One West Point man has died follow- ing a fatal shooting over the weekend. The victim, Aaron Fenton, 26, of West Point, was killed when he was shot at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Cook the corner of Fifth Street and Progress Street, accord- ing to West Point Police Chief Avery Cook. Cook did not release details on the extent of the victim’s injuries, but said Fenton’s body had been taken to a crime lab in the Jackson area for autop- sy and that more information would be released after that autopsy was com- plete. Cook said there was no suspect in custody as of press time and declined to comment on motive. The shooting occurred in a residen- tial area in northeast West Point. Chris Jenkins/Special to The Dispatch West Point Police Department is in- Mississippi University for Women junior Cece Taylor heads to a dorm on campus during MUW’s move-in day on Saturday. Students began moving into on-campus housing at both MUW and Mississippi State this weekend. For more photos, see vestigating the shooting. page 2A. ‘I CAN DO A CARTWHEEL’ Starkville plans to widen Lynn Lane intersections Kemp said the projects are Work to include added being funded under the $7.5 million bond issue aldermen turning lanes, piping and approved last fall for road, sidewalk, drainage and traf- covering ditch alongside road fic control improvements. Kemp told the Dispatch after the meeting both projects Sistrunk BY ALEX HOLLOWAY are estimated to cost about [email protected] $600,000, combined. Work is currently planned to begin The city of Starkville is preparing for later in the fall and to finish in work at two intersections along Lynn Lane the winter. to help with traffic flow along the road. The improvements are City Engineer Edward Kemp, in a pre- the result of a traffic study sentation during a Friday afternoon work Mary Pollitz/Dispatch Staff Starkville conducted with as- session, said preparations are underway to Hannah Berry, 1, watches her cousin Abby Scott Upton, 4, show off her sistance from Neel-Schaffer widen Lynn Lane at its intersection with In- gymnastic moves at Starkville’s Downtown at Sundown at Fire Station Little about a year ago, Kemp said. dustrial Park Road and at the intersection Park Thursday night. “I can do a cartwheel,” Upton said. “We came to “We did evaluate both of eat food and listen to music.” Berry is the daughter of Meg and Russell with Logan Drive at the Starkville Sports- Berry. Upton is the daughter of Ben and Hailey Upton. plex’s entrance. See INTERSECTIONS, 6A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 What’s the second letter of the Greek MEETINGS Saturday, Aug. 25 Aug. 20: Colum- alphabet? ■ Forks & Corks: This Starkville Area Arts 2 What dish calls for boiling the heart, bus City Council, Council fundraiser is 6:30-10 p.m. at The Mill liver, lungs and small intestine of a sheep 5 p.m., Municipal Conference Center in Starkville. Local chefs in its own stomach before adding oatmeal, Complex (resched- prepare specialties for tasting. Vote for your suet and salt? uled from Aug. 21) 3 At what world championship do partici- favorite. Tickets are $75 at eventbrite.com, or Aug. 22: Lowndes Jack Brodigan pants compete in springboard chopping, call 662-324-3080. the 90-foot speed climb and the boom County Supervi- Second grade, Caledonia run? sors (special call), 4 What Southern city’s first African Ameri- Sunday, Aug. 26 9 a.m. Court- High Low can mayor, Maynard Jackson, was elected ■ Loaves & Fishes Open House: Columbus’ house. 87 72 in 1973? Showers and heavier t’storms late Loaves & Fishes Community Soup Kitchen Aug. 23: MS 5 What TV show did Brian Dunkleman invites the public to see the facility and meet Public Service Full forecast on cohost for only one season, leaving before page 2A. it became a long-standing hit? volunteers as it hosts a 10th anniversary Commission cell Answers, 6B open house from 3-5 p.m. at 223 22nd St. N. service/internet For more information, call 662-386-2839 or access meeting, 7 email [email protected]. p.m., Courthouse INSIDE ■ Sunday Funday: This mini arts and music David Dawdy paints Sept. 4: Lowndes Classifieds6B Dear Abby 5B fest from 1-6 p.m. near the Parthenon on Uni- houses around Columbus. County Board of Comics 5B Obituaries 5A versity Drive in Starkville features art vendors, When he’s not working, he Supervisors, 9 139TH YEAR, NO. 137 Crossword 4B Opinions 4A kids’ art activities, local music and more. likes to play music. a.m., Courthouse DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “I think we just really come together as a team to put our chances on goal.” Mississippi State’s MaKayla Waldner, who scored two Ward, Rushdie goals on her 21st birthday Sunday in a 3-0 victory draw large crowds Monday against Stephen F. Austin. Story, 1B. at Miss. book fest MOVE-IN DAY BY EMILY Book Award, “Salvage the WAGSTER PETTUS Bones” in 2011 and “Sing, The Associated Press Unburied, Sing” in 2017, are set among the bayous JACKSON — Na- and sturdy live oaks of tional Book Award win- the region. ner Jesmyn Ward told a “Sing, Unburied, home-state audience in Sing,” is centered on a Mississippi on Saturday family’s odyssey to pick that she’s working on two up a relative from prison. books. In writing the novel, Ward One is a New Orle- said she did research and ans-based story about the slave trade. The other is learned that, decades a young adult novel about ago, boys as young as 12 an African-American girl or 13 years old were sent with supernatural pow- to the notorious Missis- ers. sippi State Penitentiary Ward and another ac- at Parchman for minor claimed author, Salman offenses. Rushdie, attracted large “The pain that they audiences at the fourth had suffered had basical- Mississippi Book Fes- ly been erased,” she said. tival. During sessions She said a “school-to- inside the state Capitol prison pipeline” echoes and at a church nearby, that situation today. dozens of authors spoke Ward teaches creative on a wide range of topics, writing at Tulane Univer- including food, sports, sity in New Orleans. She said she came upon the politics and civil rights Chris Jenkins/Special to The Dispatch history. idea of writing about the Mississippi University for Women junior Hannah Heustess, left, and freshman Anna Parish carry boxes into Ward returned home slave trade while driving residential housing on MUW’s campus Saturday. Students spent Saturday moving onto MUW’s campus. years ago to live and write and listening to a public in the small community of radio report about the DeLisle (deh-LILL) on the city’s tricentennial. An Mississippi Gulf Coast, historian said there were where her family has had once dozens of “slave roots for generations. pens” in New Orleans The two novels for which where black people were she won the National held until being sold. CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: Mississippi n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 University for Women mu- HOW DO I ... Email a letter to the editor? sic professor n [email protected] Phillip Stock- Report a missing paper? ton helps se- n 662-328-2424 ext. 100 Report a sports score? nior Madison n Toll-free 877-328-2430 n 662-241-5000 Scoggin carry n Operators are on duty until boxes into Submit a calendar item? a dormitory 5 p.m.