Thompson Gets Life Sentence In Cheryl Cain Murder; ‘Closure’ For Family
July 22, 2010
Scott Joseph Thompson will remain behind bars for the rest of his life for the murder of Cheryl Cain, the Cantonment woman whose body was found in a Pensacola dumpster in March, 2009.
Thompson, now 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the strangulation death. Following the jury verdict, Circuit Judge Ronald Swanson sentenced Thompson to life in prison.
“I’m tickled to death for the verdict,” said Danny Cain, Cheryl’s father, Wednesday night. “I hate it for his family. But they can go and see him in jail. We can’t go see our daughter.”
When he was arrested on the second degree murder charges, Thompson was already in the Escambia County Jail for violating probation on 2007 narcotics charges, according to court records, waiting for a bed to become available in a drug treatment facility.
Cain’s body was found in a dumpster behind a former gas station on Highway 29 at Burgess Road in Pensacola on March 25, 2009. DNA evidence from the dumpster and in Cain’s car were used to charge Thompson with murder, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. Thompson’s DNA was reportedly found in Cain’s vehicle, which was located after the murder at a Pensacola motel.
Phone records also connected Thompson to Cain, as well as a witness that testified that the two argued over money the last day she was seen alive.
It took an Escambia County jury just an hour and twenty minutes Wednesday night to return the guilty verdict.
“We finally got some closure,” Danny Cain said.
In March of this year, Danny Cain spoke to NorthEscambia.com about what it was like to loose his daughter.
“It wasn’t suppose to be this way,” Cain said in that interview. His daughter Cheryl was a rodeo star, a proud Tate graduate, and doing what she loved — working with animals at the office of a Pensacola veterinarian.
“I think about it every day; something always reminds me of her” Cain said. “There’s no way to explain it. He took her life.”
Cain admits sometimes he thinks that he would like to sit down face to face with Thompson. “I wish I could talk to him and understand why.”
The support of friends, family and church have been important for the Cain family. A memorial in front of the gas station where Cheryl’s body was discovered has also provided a bit of solace. Hundreds of stuffed animals and handwritten notes have been left behind by the community. But nothing, Cain said, replaces the empty void created by the murder.
“We sure miss her. I wish we could have her back.”
Pictured top: A makeshift memorial for Cantonment murder victim Cheryl Cain at a Pensacola gas station. Pictured below (courtesy WEAR): Cheryl Cain’s body was found in this dumpster. Pictured above: Cherly Cain and her dog Bandit. Submitted and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
House Candidate’s Wife Jailed On Drug Trafficking, Related Charges
July 22, 2010
The wife of a candidate for Florida House District 1 has been arrested on drug charges in Santa Rosa County.
Jennifer Rene Perritt, 38, of Wallace Lake Road, Pace, is charged with drug trafficking, prescription forgery and fraud. She was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail where she was being held on $620,000 bond.
(Read a July 24 update to this story here.)
She is the wife of Ricky Perritt, a Republic candidate for the Florida House District 1 seat. A statement issued by Perritt’s campaign said Jennifer Perritt has suffered from a degenerative spinal condition for the past seven years, and that she became addicted to her prescribed pain medications.
“Last night Mrs. Perritt voluntarily reported to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff to answer questions regarding allegations that she mishandled prescriptions,” the news release states. “Mr. Perritt is concerned for the health of his wife and he is consulting with the appropriate professionals to evaluate the situation. During this time Mr. Perritt asks you to pray for his family and asks that you respect his wife’s privacy.”
Ricky Perritt plans to hold a press conference on Friday to answer questions regarding his future plans.
Florida House District 1 includes the northern two-thirds of Escambia County, most of Santa Rosa County and a portion of Okaloosa County. The seat is being vacated by Greg Evers who is running for Florida Senate District 2.
Century Woman Facing Drug, Custody Charges
July 22, 2010
A 19-year old Century woman is behind bars, charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and interfering with the custody of a minor.
Hannah Joyce Campbell of Hagan Road is being held on $10,000 after a traffic stop allegedly found her with a runaway minor and drugs in her purse.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell was stopped Sunday morning by Deputy Jason Land after she ran a red light on North Century Boulevard. The passenger in her vehicle was identified as a runaway that stated she had left home without her guardian’s permission.
When Campbell asked Deputy Bobby Cook to retrieve her purse from her vehicle, he discovered a pill bottle in plain sight in the center console. The pill bottle allegedly contained hydrocodone and Xanax.
Campbell denied any involvement with the pills in her vehicle, according to the arrest report.
Her 2007 Pontaic G6 was seized by the Sheriff’s Office. She was also issued traffic citations for failure to stop at a traffic signal and failure to display a driver’s license upon demand.
Century To Promote Employees, Name Deputy Clerk
July 22, 2010
The recent resignation of Century’s deputy clerk will lead to the promotion of two employees.
Christina Wood, a nine-year town employee, will be promoted to deputy clerk to replace Karen Hughes. Denice Wiggins will be promoted into the office position vacated by Wood’s advancement. Both will receive a $1 per hour raise.
Mayor Freddie McCall said that the town will not immediately hire another employee to fill the vacancy created by Wiggins’ promotion. Instead, he said he will monitor the town office’s efficiency to see if it can operate with one less employee.
McCall also said Wiggins will be cross-trained in the duties of the town clerk while training is underway for recently hired Clerk Darlene Peters.
Appraisers Can Reassess Local Property Values After Oil Spill
July 22, 2010
A day after a special session collapsed with no action on oil-drilling, Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at allowing Gulf coast property owners to make damage claims to BP.
Crist’s order allows property appraisers in the 26 Florida counties covered by the current state of emergency to perform interim assessments, giving owners of businesses, homes and condos the documentation they may need to submit a claim to BP for lost value.
“The businesses and families of the Gulf coast did nothing to warrant this loss, but they bear the burden of it,” Crist said.
Crist noted that he’s been contacted by several property appraisers seeking authority to reevaluate property last formally assessed Jan. 1 – three months before the Deepwater Horizon explosion occurred, fouling the Gulf and leading to a sharp economic decline along the coast.
BP has set up a $20 billion compensation fund to settle legitimate claims. For now, most seeking damages from the company are businesses and workers who have lost profits and earning ability, absorbed some oil removal costs, suffered property damage or have experienced the tougher-to-gauge “loss of a natural resource.”
Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones and his Santa Rosa County counterpart, Gregory Brown, wrote Crist in early June urging that he advance some kind of tax-relief plan. They said that while property owners are likely to endure a loss in value because of the spill, tax payments this fall will be based on assessments that were in place pre-spill, at the start of 2010.
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, pushed Crist to endorse a tax reduction plan soon after. But the issue has generally languished, with Crist not including any spill-related issues in this week’s special session other than a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit oil-drilling in Florida waters – a measure that failed to be taken up by lawmakers.
Jones, the Escambia property appraiser, said Tuesday that he expected coastal homeowners and business owners to be angry when tax notices are mailed out in August. He said that motels and vacation rental properties in his county are experiencing business losses of as much as 50 percent because of the spill.
Jones’s recommendation: “Put BP on the hook for that.”
Crist, now apparently agrees.
“I have not asked BP’s permission to do this,” Crist said Wednesday.
BP spokeswoman Paula Barnett, when reached by the News Service, said the company was unaware of the governor’s executive order and had no immediate reaction. BP has paid $201 million to residents and businesses of the Gulf Coast on claims related to the spill.
According to the company, the largest groups include fishermen, who have received $32 million and shrimpers, who have received $18 million. Another $77 million has been paid for a loss of income for occupations including deckhands, seafood processors, and other Gulf businesses.
More than 114,000 claims had been submitted by mid-July, although BP said that more than 61,000 claims lack enough information for the company to make a payment. Under Crist’s executive order, Florida homeowners and businesses would take their place among those filing claims.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Florida’s Economy, said he was surprised by Crist’s action – coming so quickly on the heels of a special session that the governor wanted confined solely to the drill-ban. He said he was also concerned about directing more Floridians into “the vortex of the BP claims process.”
“But maybe this is one idea we can improve on,” Gaetz said, looking ahead to what legislative leaders say will be a September special session on a host of spill-related issues. “I don’t want to sound negative about this. But we may need more guidance. We do have constitutional issues in Florida about tax equity and the assessing of property based on similar purposes. We don’t want to do anything that might kick these claims into the courts.”
Gaetz added, “But I’m grateful that the governor has gotten the sleep out of his eyes on this and is willing to address the pain and suffering that people along the Gulf Coast are feeling.”
Gaetz and Crist separately also said they didn’t consider the interim assessments as interfering with other potential steps. Still in play are discussions about providing direct payments to property-owners – similar to the $1,500 property-tax reimbursements made in 2007 to Central Florida residents whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged by tornadoes.
Property tax relief has been distributed five times since 1985 following hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes in Florida, according to the state’s Revenue Department.
Pelicans Lose First Seres Since June
July 22, 2010
Richard Salazar and big timely hits led the Captains (14-2) past the Pensacola Pelicans (8-8) 7-4 Wednesday. For the Pelicans it was their first series loss since dropping two out of three in late June against the St. Paul Saints.
Captains jumped out in front in the top of the second inning with a sacrifice fly RBI from Glenn Wilson and an RBI double from Joe Urtuzastegui to give Shreveport-Bossier an early 2-0 lead.
The Pelicans responded in the last of the second inning. Lou Palmisano led it off with a moon shot right over the left field wall for his eleventh homerun of the year. It was a solo shot that cut the lead in half at 2-1.
It was a 4-2 lead for the Captains in the top of the sixth inning when Christopher Garcia rifled a three run double to deep center to clear the bases and opening up this lead for Shreveport Bossier to 7-2.
The Pelicans plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a dropped ball from Jorge Alvarez and an RBI hit from Marcos Rodriguez to cut the deficit to three runs at 7-4.
Richard Salazar (6-3) gets the win as he goes seven innings and gives up two runs off six hits. Hector Carrasco got the last four outs for his eleventh save of the season.
Rabid Cat Found In Rural Santa Rosa
July 22, 2010
Authorities are investigating a confirmed case of rabies in rural Santa Rosa County.
A domesticated cat that bit and scratched an elderly woman in Allentown on Friday, July 16, has tested positive for the rabies virus, according to Santa Rosa County Public Information Officer Joy Tsubooka.
Santa Rosa County Animal Control Officers and the Sheriff’s Office have gone door-to-door in the rural Penton Road area, notifying residents of the infection and asking those with pets for proof of current vacation. Any unvaccinated cat or dog, including strays, will be taken to Santa Rosa County Animal Services and quarantined for ten days, Tsubooka said. Six humane traps have also been set in the area.
The victim reported the bite after the cat exhibited unusually aggressive behavior, a common sign of rabies. If bitten, please:
- Wash any wounds with soap and water.
- Seek medical attention immediately and report the incident to the Santa Rosa County Health Department at (850) 983-5200 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or after hours, call (850) 418-5566.
- Report the attacking or any animal displaying suspicious behavior and its location to Santa Rosa County Animal Services at (850) 983-4680 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Night and holiday emergencies can be reported to (850) 983-5372.
Rabies is a contagious and fatal disease which all warm-blooded animals, including man, are susceptible. Although effective vaccinations and stray animal laws can control rabies among dogs and cats, the disease is difficult to control in wildlife. Nationally 85 percent of all rabies cases are caused by wildlife including raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes.
With your help, rabies can be prevented. Santa Rosa County offers the following tips to help ensure the safety of your family:
- Keep your rabies vaccinations current.
- Do not leave your pets outside unsupervised.
- Keep animals contained on your property, which includes cats. We recommend cats to be indoor pets due to their tendency to wander.
- Notify animal services of stray animals and do not allow your children to play with, touch or feed any strays.
- Do not approach wild animals. Do not keep skunks, raccoons, bats or other wild animals as pets. Never feed a wild animal from your hand.
- Do not feed dogs or cats out-of-doors this will attract wild animals and strays.
- Do not place feeders in the yard – the food will attract unwanted animals such as raccoons and foxes.
- Secure trash cans with fasteners.
It is Florida State law that every owner of an animal, four months of age or older, must vaccinate their animals against rabies by a licensed veterinarian with the U.S. approved rabies vaccine. Local animal control officers can impound any animal that does not have a rabies tag and/or a rabies certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian. If a pet is impounded, the owner will be responsible for obtaining the proper vaccination within 72 hours and will have to pay any impound fees. Violators can incur fines up to $500.
For more information, contact Santa Rosa County Animal Services at (850) 983-4680 or online at http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/animals/index.html.
Jack Moran Passes Away
July 22, 2010
Community leader Jack Moran of Century passed away Tuesday evening. He was 68.
Moran served a director of the Arts Council of Northwest Florida, a director of The Century Community Development Partnership and a director of the East Hill Academy for autistic children. He was founder and director of the Arts Committee of North Escambia County Florida, a director of the African-American Historical Society, founder and director of The Teaspoon Foundation and he was an active member of his political party’s County Executive Committee.
He also served as one of the founding organizers and member of the board of the Century Community Development Partnership, Inc., a non-profit organization with a mission that included working toward affordable housing in the rural communities of north Florida following the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.
Moran was vested as “Sir Wallace”, a Knight in the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem (OSJ) by Crown Prince Michael.
Born Wallace David Moran in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he was a Navy, USMC, Seabee veteran and recipient of the American Spirit Honor Medal. After finishing graduate school, he was hired by his personal mentor, Charles Tandy, chairman of the Tandy Corp.
Later, he owned his own small business, designing and manufacturing children’s furniture and wood toys, and a retail antique business from in Louisiana. He was the father of twins -a boy and a girl, and a step-daughter.
After his son died at the age of 25 from a rare form of cancer, he worked from Northwest Florida as a business development and reorganization consultant, mortgage broker, business broker and fraud examiner.
In his retirement, Moran continued to work with his wife Julie, who is managing partner of Century Pharmacy, L.L.C.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Photos: Friendship Freewill Baptist Holds Vacation Bible School
July 22, 2010
Friendship Freewill Baptist Church near Flomaton is holding their Vacation Bible School this week. VBS continues from 6:30 until 8:30 each evening through Friday. Classes are for ages 3 to 12 and up. The church is located at 1234 Friendship Road.
Click here for more photos from VBS at Friendship Freewill Baptist in Flomaton.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Do you have church news or photos to share? Email news@northescambia.com
The Heat Is On
July 22, 2010
Friday is forecast to be a bit hotter than Thursday, with temperatures climbing to near the 100 degree mark.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. North wind around 5 mph becoming east.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. East wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 96. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 93. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Sunday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 94.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
- Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 94.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 94.