Wednesday 50¢ December 5, 2018 One Section 55th year, No. 49 www.perrynewspapers.com Serving the Tree Capital of the South Since 1963 Shooting suspect remains at large A shooting at Tidewater Perry Police Department police were going in as they Bell is a two-time Apartments Monday (PPD) Ptl. Kyle Johnson were going out.” convicted felon. He is afternoon occurred just was the first officer to arrive The victim, a 30-year- being sought on charges minutes before a busload on scene and observed old black male, sustained a of attempted murder, of school children was school children getting non-life-threatening wound aggravated battery and dropped off at the complex. off a bus at the apartment and was able to identify the possession of a firearm by a The suspect -- identified complex. shooter for investigators, Lt. convicted felon. as 39-year-old Anthony “He immediately went Lin Gray said. PPD officers were Maurice “Reese” Bell -- to the bus and ushered “The victim and Bell assisted at the scene by the remains at large. students to their homes and are known associates, and Taylor County Sheriff’s Emergency dispatchers apartments,” Capt. Gene we believe the shooting Office (TCSO) and the reported hearing shots fired Franklin said. “The victim stemmed from an on-going Department of Corrections Anthony Maurice “Reese” Bell is wanted on an as they received numerous was transported from the argument,” he said. (DOC). attempted murder charge related to a shooting calls regarding the incident scene to the hospital by “He (Bell) is known to ➟ that occurred Monday afternoon at Tidewater around 3:18 p.m. private vehicle. In fact, the flee police,” Franklin added. Please see page 3 Apartments. 90 and counting: Little confesses to Perry murder Women lost in a haze of active. case from the early 1990s believe that Little could be addiction were easy prey Perry, Fla., is on the map that could be related to Sam a suspect in this case. There for confessed serial killer as the site of an “Unmatched Little. are no other cold cases here Samuel Little. confession: black female “The remains of the that match the timeline Living on the fringes of killed in 1993.” missing person have been (regarding Little) from society and never staying “What this means is found and positively the mid-1980s to the mid- in one place too long, Little that he has confessed to identified. The nearest1990s.” criss-crossed the country at killing somebody in Perry. living relatives of the In 2014, the PPD was will and gave free reign to But, we have no definitive missing person have been one of dozens of law his desire to kill. connection at this point,” notified. They know that the enforcement agencies To date, he has confessed Perry Police Department missing person portion of across the country looking to 90 murders. Law (PPD) Chief Jamie Cruse the case is no longer active,” at Little as a possible suspect enforcement has been able said Tuesday. Cruse said. in unsolved homicides and to link 34 unsolved murders “We were not notified that Samuel Little has a criminal record spanning He did confirm “there missing persons cases. to Little’s confessed crimes. the FBI would be releasing more than five decades. He has confessed to 90 is enough consistency The one case that lined Late last week, the FBI the map and information. murders. in the local case, when up with Little’s profile was released a map detailing We found out about it last bombarded with calls, from Cruse said what his compared to other known the 1993 disappearance of a the states and towns where week when the news media as far away as the BBC in agency can release is that victims of Sam Little, to ➟ Little is suspected of being started calling – we were England.” there is a missing person’s make detectives reasonably Please see page 3 TCI officers charged with allegedly attacking inmate Less than two days after a with the institution since released) to administrative resulted in their use of Officer Hightower being was the inmate combative mini-riot in which more than June and October 2017 confinement when thephysical force and chemical involved or even present. or resistant. One staff a dozen inmates attacked respectively. The third alleged incident occurred on force. Both allege(d) the Officer Hightower did not eyewitness, who was officers, three Taylorsuspect, Richard Tuten, was Oct. 13 – two days after the inmate was combative and document his involvement approximately 40 yards Correctional Institution a four-year veteran officer. mini-riot happened (Oct. that Sgt. Hall gave several either.” away, never heard or saw (TCI) have been charged Reports released last 11). verbal orders before he The affidavit furtherthe inmate do anything to with allegedly assaulting week by the Florida According to the administered chemical detailed that, “Several warrant the attack on him by an inmate and falsifying Department of Corrections arrest affidavits, Tutenagents. Neither Hall or staff witnesses and an Hall, Tuten or Hightower. “use of force” reports and (FDC) Office of Inspector and Hall both wrote Tuten documented any inmate were interviewed An additional staff witness incident reports. General stated that Officer independent incident physical punches or kicks independently and clearly observed Sgt. Tuten Two of the officers,Hightower and Sgt. Tuten reports documenting that administered by them on all testified similarly,deliver knee strikes to the Kenneth Hightower and were escorting the inmate the inmate “was violently the inmate in their reports, corroborating (the inmate’s ➟ Steven Hall, had only been (whose identify was not resisting officers, which and made no mention of account), and at no time Please see page 2 Arrowood’s bid for new trial is denied by Fina In a Thursday, Nov. 29, court order, Circuit Judge David Fina denied a 10-count motion for post- conviction relief filed by attorneys seeking a new trial for 30-year-old Garrett Arrowood, who is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of his aunt, longtime educator Shelly Strickland. Now that the motion for a new trial has been denied Garrett Arrowood by Fina, who also presided trial in hopes of overturning over the original 2016 trial, the life sentence Arrowood All merry & bright! Arrowood’s attorneys will received following a first- It was a close call as to who had more fun at last year’s Christmas Parade -- the participants likely file an appeal with degree murder conviction in or the spectators who cheered them on as they rolled down Jefferson Street. Plan to come the First District Court of 2016. downtown Friday to see how this year’s parade participants top themselves. The second Appeal. “We are disappointed annual Santa’s Little Helpers Christmas Parade, held in conjunction with the annual Downtown Arrowood’s attorneys not only with Judge Fina’s Christmas Open House, will kick off at 6 p.m. followed by a tree-lighting ceremony, visits with have 30 days to appeal ultimate ruling denying Santa, caroling, a chili supper, a cakewalk, extended shopping hours, vendors and much more. Fina’s decision to the First Garrett a new trial, but Complete the Downtown Passport (featured on pages 6-7) and be entered to win a gift basket District Court of Appeal, as filled with items and gift certificates from local merchants. they continue to seek a new ➟ Please see page 2 Whiddon back in court Dec. 21 for VOP hearing Manden Whiddon, 24, Whiddon, who is currently In the plea agreement, trafficking and possession truthful information during different men (his father, one of three suspects linked serving a 15-year prison Whiddon was also given of a firearm by a convicted such interviews.” Rodney Whiddon, and to the murder of former for his role in Strickland’s 15 years of probation (to felon. During the plea hearing Garrett Arrowood). teacher, principal and murder, faces a possible life be served consecutively One of the conditions held in January 2017, However, less than an hour educator Shelly Strickland, sentence after recanting his to the prison sentence) of the deal was that he Whiddon testified how a before opening statements is set for a violation of testimony and thus violating for additional charges of “cooperate with the State robbery gone wrong led at his father’s murder trial probation (VOP) hearing his plea agreement with the burglary while armed, Attorney’s Office during to Strickland being shot a ➟ Please see page 3 Dec. 21. State Attorney’s Office. dealing in stolen property, interviews and provide total of three times by two Index Weather Wednesday 54˚ Thursday 57˚ Editorial ................. A-4 Community ............ A-9 Sports ................... A-5 Classifieds .......... A-10 39˚ 30˚ Religion ................. A-8 A-2 Taco Times December 5, 2018 Judge addresses 10 claims filed by Arrowood ARROWOOD role in the murder. While Arrowood’s post- death to the time Arrowood assistance. potential trip to Jacksonville, Continued from page 1 the jury specifically found conviction appeals have was traveling to or at a “Trial counsel is strongly particularly regarding a Arrowood did not actually centered around claims Jacksonville pawn shop presumed to have rendered possible pawn shop visit, with the fact that his order possess a firearm during the that Harrison failed to because Strickland likely adequate assistance and would have more than did not even address the murder or burglary, he was investigate an alibi, advised took her pills in the morning. made all significant likely resulted in damning facts and law that support sentenced to life in prison Arrowood not to testify at In his 28-page order decisions in the exercise evidence and, accordingly, our position – which we for first-degree murder, trial and did not investigate “Denying Motion of reasonable professional did not pursue it.