Cold Case Task Force Moving Ahead, Says DA
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SPORTS: Trustee Mike Smith Flames put the names 4 Saturday heat on Lincoln satellites for Memorial: Page 11 taxes: Page 8 162nd YEAR • no. 248 18 PAgES • 50¢ CLEVELAND, TN 37311 THE CITY WITH SPIRIT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017 Nelms family Cold Case Task files lawsuit Force moving in hanging ahead, says DA death at jail Valentine’s Day murders By BRIAN GRAVES Banner Staff Writer among the local targets The family of Ralph Lee Nelms has filed a law- suit in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga con- looks into cases.” cerning his hanging death while an inmate at By ALLEN MINCEY Banner Staff Writer “We will look at information the Bradley County Jail on or about Sept. 18. and conduct interviews, many Nelms, who was 41 at the time of his death, Nine unsolved crimes, includ- times with family members,” he had been arrested and charged by the Bradley ing several involving homicides, added. County Sheriff’s Office with three counts of bur- will be the first investigated by He pointed out some of the glary. the new Cold Case Task Force. cases are from years ago, and According to the lawsuit, Multiple law there are as Nelms was being held in the enforcement “We will also be working many as 60 booking area of the “overcrowd- agencies were missing persons (cases), such cases in ed Bradley County Jail, an area represented at unidentified remains, and serial the district. where Bradley County Jail staff the initial meet- cases, which could include seri- These cold can see into the fronts of all the ing of the task al sex cases and many times, cases are in cells.” force we may be looking at serial Bradley, Polk, The family contends Nelms Wednesday. arson cases.” McMinn and was showing “suicidal risk The law — DA Steve Crump Monroe coun- behavior and exhibited erratic enforcement ties, which nelms behavior.” agencies repre- compose the Cited in the suit is a jail poli- sentatives were from all counties 10th Judicial District. cy requiring the jail’s booking in the 10th Judicial District. Bradley County cases include staff with “notifying appropriate “Cold cases are different from the murders most recognized as personnel as soon as possible cases than one that has just the “Valentine’s Day killings” of in the event an inmate requires happened,” said 10th Judicial 1999. The three who died in that medical attention.” District Attorney General Steve crime include O.J. Blair, Dawn The family claims Nelms was Crump. “It is a very different Rogers and Cayci Higgins. not referred for a mental health process.” “We will also be working miss- screening by the jail staff “even Banner photo, ALLEn MinCEY He said investigating cold tEntH JUDiCiAL DiStRiCt Attorney General Steve Crump, at podium, is ing persons (cases), unidentified though [Nelms] exhibited unsta- cases involves analysis “that remains, and serial cases, which ble, erratic behaviors demon- joined by members of law enforcement Wednesday at a news conference detail- may lead to that one piece of strating that he was a potential ing the first incidents to be looked at by the newly created Cold Case Task Force. information that leads to further See COLD CASE, Page 8 Black danger to himself.” “Bradley County Jail staff intentionally refused to accom- modate [Nelms] by placing [Nelms] in his cell covering the window completely blocking Gibson presents 3-year CPD plan to Council their view into his cell as well as leaving him with an instru- By LARRY C. BOWERS future, spiced with some individ- earlier this week. City Manager start work on the $1 million proj- ment to complete any suicidal Banner Staff Writer ual and departmental “wish lists.” Joe Fivas pointed out that the ect. One of the more graphic propos- recreation department is in the Other park and recreation pro- ideations, his cloth gown Although a majority of Cleveland straps,” the lawsuit states. als was a three-year projection by middle of compiling a master plan, posals will be highlighted in the residents have expressed satisfac- Cleveland Chief of Police Mark and he would like to review that master plan. The family also claims the jail tion with city government, and the Boyd staff “failed to conduct an ade- Gibson for 2017 through 2019. plan prior to the department’s Gibson began his three-year services being offered, there are Reports were also heard by vari- report to Council members. proposal to the Council by display- quate safety check” on Nelms some deficiencies being addressed. and that Nelms “hung more ous other city departments, Several projects are proposed for ing statistics from his department Department heads went before including the Cleveland Fire Parks and Recreation over the for 2016. Cleveland officers than 30 minutes before being the City Council at a strategic discovered by defendants and Department. Details will be pub- coming year, with the major proj- responded to 56,622 calls for serv- planning session this week, each lished in Friday’s edition of the ect being a major tennis complex ice last year, with the majority cut down.” with a plan for the year, and years Also named in the lawsuit are Cleveland Daily Banner. at Tinsley Park. The city received a item being for thefts (2,074). ahead. The general theme was Parks and Recreation Director $500,000 grant from the state, BCSO Deputies Ronald Reddish, realistic proposals for the near Gabe Black and Tim Boyd who, Patti Petitt did not submit a report and with matching funds will soon See GIBSON, Page 5 the suit claims, knew of Nelms’ suicidal tendencies “and failed to provide sufficient safeguards Reddish to adequately protect him from harming himself.” Fivas, city staff Taylor Spring The three officers were indicted by the Bradley County grand jury in December for official mis- conduct, following parallel investigations by the BCSO and the TBI. enthused about Park committee Black faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence and tampering with governmental records. meeting results to request help All three men have since left the employment of the BCSO — Reddish and Black by termina- By LARRY C. BOWERS By LARRY C. BOWERS tion and Boyd by resignation. Banner Staff Writer Banner Staff Writer The lawsuit also alleges that four “John Does,” who were jail employees at the time of Nelms’ Cleveland City Manager Joe Fivas, as well as his The Taylor Spring Park Committee, appointed by death, knew of a “suicide risk” and failed “to staff and department heads, couldn’t be happier the Cleveland City Council, is aggressively moving protect him by removing the cloth straps from with the results of a series of six communities ahead with plans for the new downtown park with a his possession and not keeping an appropriate meetings conducted over the past three weeks. history theme. watch on [Nelms].” The meetings were held to glean information and A majority of committee members met Wednesday Because of what the family alleges were feedback from the residents of the city. Information at the Jones Management offices in The Village “actions and omissions undertaken with malice from meetings in the five city districts, and from a Green, discussing the recent fundraiser held at the and/or reckless disregard,” they allege Nelms general forum Wednesday evening, will be used to home of businessman and entrepreneur Allan was denied his Constitutional rights. compile data for the Council in prioritizing city Jones in Anatole subdivision. The family is claiming the damages due to projects over the coming year and well into the Banner photo, LARRY C. BOWERS Around 200 invited guests attended the fundrais- Nelms’ death include: future. CitY MAnAgER Joe Fivas coordinat- er, but most committee members expressed disap- n Conscious [and] physical pain, suffering and About 70 people turned out for Wednesday’s con- ed Wednesday afternoon’s Community pointment that only a little over $30,000 was raised. Survey Meeting at the Museum Center at See LAWSUIT, Page 8 See FIVAS, Page 5 Five Points. See TAYLOR, Page 8 AROUND TOWN WEATHER INDEX B.J. Walker waking to find a flock of flamin- Today looks to be sunny, with a Classified......................16-17 Obituaries.............................2 go figures in his front yard ... Ben and Sarah high near 55. Tonight’s forecast calls Smith showing what extra-special people they for clear skies and a low of 35 Comics.................................6 Stocks...................................4 are ... Dustin Hayes and Shane Gay creating degrees. Friday should be mostly Editorials.............................14 Sports.......................... 11-13 6489076 75112 a musical workplace, picking and grinning in a sunny. Friday night should see recent performance ... Coleman Foss laugh- Horoscope............................6 TV Schedule.........................7 increasing clouds, with a low of ing about getting asked about a certain photo NASCAR............................18 Weather................................ of himself. around 41. 9 2—Cleveland Daily Banner—Thursday, February 16, 2017 www.clevelandbanner.com Home building falls as fewer OBITUARIES (USPS 117-700) Periodical Postage Paid at Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Post Office apartments POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: Banner, P.O. Box 3600, Cleveland, TN 37320-3600 Published at 1505 25th Street, NW (P.O. Box 3600) linda Charest to submit an obituary, have the funeral home or cremation in Cleveland, TN 37320-3600, daily except Saturday are started Linda Jean Charest, 58, of society in charge of arrangements e-mail the information to obitu- and Christmas day by Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. Phone (423) 472-5041. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Cleveland, died Tuesday, Feb, [email protected] and fax to 423-614-6529, attention 14, 2017, at a Chattanooga hos- Obits. home building fell last month, pital. Ralph Baldwin Joyce Taylor led by a drop in apartment con- Survivors and funeral arrange- Editor & Publisher General Manager struction, while developers broke ments will be announced by Fike- and Bob Jones Academy at Lee Saturday, from 10 to 11 a.m., at Member of The Associated Press ground on more single family Randolph & Son Funeral Home.