Man Found To Be Stabbed After Cantonment Wreck
April 30, 2016
A man that had been stabbed wrecked his vehicle near International Paper in Cantonment early Saturday morning.
The man reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds during at an altercation at an address on Highway 95A near El Camino Drive before fleeing in a vehicle. He crashed near Tree Street, just south of Muscogee Road, about 1:15 a.m.
The man was transported to an area hospital. His condition was not available.
Further details, including the man’s name, have not yet been released. The incident remains under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Molino Mom Sentenced For Husband’s Murder
April 30, 2016
A Molino mom that once claimed a “stand your ground” defense in the murder of her husband 2013 is now headed to state prison.
Rebecca A. Rogers, 45, was sentenced Friday by Judge Thomas Dannheisser to two years in prison, to be followed by 13 years probation. She will receive credit for 42 days that she already served in the county jail. She faced a maximum of 15 years in prison, with sentencing guidelines calling for about nine years behind bars.
Rogers pleaded no contest to manslaughter for shooting her husband, 42-year old Jason Lee Rogers in August 2013. Her attorneys previously made a motion to dismiss the case, saying Rogers acted within the parameters of Florida’s self-defense “stand your ground” law. That motion was denied at the local level and by the Florida First District Court of Appeals.
The ruling from the appeals court last June did not allow her to claim she acted under the “stand you ground” law, but it specifically did not prohibit Rogers from claiming self-defense at trial.
Friday’s sentencing hearing lasted over five hours as Dannheisser reviewed evidence and heard testimony from Rogers and her family.
“I am so sorry that this happened,” Rogers told the judge. “I regret that this happened and I regret that I shot Jason that night.” She said she still loves Jason Rogers and apologized for the pain and suffering caused by her actions. “I am sorry for taking their son, their brother. For taking my children’s father and my grandson’s ‘Grappie’,” she said.
Dannheisser reviewed the 911 recording from the night of the murder, during which Rogers said, “He came after me. He was choking me and he said it was going to be he last night of my life.”
Two of Roger’s four daughters testified about the abuse their mother suffered from their father. “Please don’t take her away from us your honor,” Roger’s oldest daughter Kayla Clear said.
Dannheisser said the evidence did show aggression by Jason Rogers, but he said he believes that deadly force should have been used only as a last resort. He ordered Rogers, who had been free on bond, immediately remanded into custody to begin her sentence.
Rebecca Rogers shot her husband twice in the back and once in the head inside the couple’s home in the 3400 block of Highway 29 in Molino. She told a 911 dispatcher that her husband choked her and then she shot him.
Deputies arrived to find Rebecca Rogers standing outside the home. They found Jason Rogers lying unconscious in the back bedroom of the home on his stomach with a gunshot to his head. He also suffered two other gunshot wounds to the back. He died at a local hospital about two days later.
Partly Sunny, Near 90 Today
April 30, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. West wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 78.
Murder Suspect Raymond Pruitt Captured In Alabama
April 30, 2016
Murder suspect Raymond Jerome Pruitt. was taken into custody Friday afternoon in Pike County, AL, near Troy, according to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office. He was captured after a high speed chase.
Pruitt has an active arrest warrant for the robbery of A&E Food Mart and homicide of of store owner Chung Lun Chiang also known as “Alan”.
Investigators say Pruitt robbed the A&E Food Mart on Pace Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. During the robbery, he shot and killed Chiang, 53, as he worked behind the counter.
Pruitt’s crime spree began on April 5 in Montgomery when he stabbed his girlfriend and shot her with her own pistol as she tried to escape. Pruitt has since been identified as the prime suspect in five armed robberies occurring in Montgomery, Ozark, Troy, and Prattville, AL.
Wanted Felon Escapes Manhunt, Possibly To Century
April 30, 2016
Authorities are on the lookout for a Flomaton man that may have escaped to Century during a manhunt Friday afternoon.
Flomaton Police responded to the home of Johnny Jermaine Johnson about 2:45 p.m. after receiving a call that he was holding a woman against her will. Officers arrived to find that Johnson had already fled out of a bedroom window.
K-9 units from Fountain Correctional in Atmore and Century Correctional were called to the scene as Flomaton Police established a perimeter along with the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office. Johnson was tracked through thick woods and brush in the MLK Drive and Vanhoosen Road area, with dogs loosing his scent in the area of MLK and Bell Street. Police received a tip that he had been picked up by a family member and transported to Century.
Johnson has unrelated felony warrants for his arrest for escape and a probation violation, according to Flomaton Police Chief Bryan Davis, who issued a warning to anyone that might harboring Johnson.
“Being that Johnson has multiple felony warrants for his arrest, anyone that is found to assist or hide Johnson can be charged with hindering prosecution, which is a felony,” Davis said.
The female that was reportedly being held against her will was found at Johnson’s residence when officers arrived. Police said she is safe and received minor injuries.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Johnson is asked to call the Flomaton Police Department at (850) 296-5811 or their local law enforcement agency.
Greater Escambia Relay For Life Is Today
April 30, 2016
The Greater Escambia Relay for Life will be held today at the Pensacola Fairgrounds.
Events are scheduled as follows:
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Supreme Court To Hear Nine Mile Popeye’s Murder Case
April 30, 2016
The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday in a high-profile case that forced an overhaul of the state’s death-penalty sentencing system.
The case involves Timothy Lee Hurst, who was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of fast-food worker Cynthia Harrison in Pensacola. Harrison, an assistant manager at a Nine Mile Road Popeye’s Fried Chicken restaurant where Hurst worked, was bound, gagged and stabbed more than 60 times. Her body was found in a freezer.
Hurst was the plaintiff in a legal challenge that led to the U.S. Supreme Court finding in January that Florida’s death-penalty sentencing system was unconstitutional because it gave too much power to judges, instead of juries. State lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott quickly approved changes to the system to try to resolve the constitutional issues.
The arguments Thursday are expected to focus on Hurst’s contention that the Florida Supreme Court should order that he receive a life sentence, instead of facing execution.
In briefs, Hurst’s attorneys have raised a series of arguments related to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, including that Hurst received the death sentence under what was an unconstitutional process.
“The constitutional defect in Hurst’s death sentence is that the judge, rather than a jury, determined ‘each fact necessary to impose a sentence of death,’ ” said part of a brief filed last month, quoting the U.S. Supreme Court. But Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office has argued in court papers that the Florida Supreme Court should reject Hurst’s request for a life sentence, in part contending that any error in his death sentence was “harmless.”
Today’s Your Last Chance To See Free Smithsonian Exhibit In Molino
April 30, 2016
Today is your last chance to see “The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition for free in Molino.
The exhibition, which celebrates the history of American workers, will be open Saturday from 10 am. until 4 p.m. at the Lillian F. King Museum located in the Molino Community Complex, 6450 Highway 95A North. The exhibit has been open since late March.
For more photos from opening day, click here.
“The Way We Worked” was made possible in Molino by the Florida Humanities Council. “The Way We Worked”, an exhibition created by the National Archives, is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
Pictured: Scenes from the March 19 opening day of “The Way We Worked exhibit in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Glenda Ann (Morgan) Hairston
April 30, 2016
Mrs. Glenda Ann (Morgan) Hairston of Molino passed away at her home in Molino in the early hours on April 29, 2016. She passed peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her husband George of 53 years, her daughters, and grandchildren.
Born August 2, 1943, Glenda was the daughter of Duke and Essie Morgan. She was a lifelong resident of Molino and a lifelong member of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church.
Glenda was a devoted wife and homemaker. She loved to travel. She and George visited many of the 50 states. She had a sense of adventure and was always up for a challenge, including hang gliding and hot air ballooning. She had a contagious smile and an amazing sense of humor. She was a small package, with a big personality!
Glenda was everyone’s favorite aunt, cousin, and friend. She will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know and love her.
Glenda is survived by her loving husband George and their two daughters, Terra Reading and her husband, John, Vicki Holland and her husband James; five grandchildren, Emily Reading, Molly Reading Tingle, Savannah Holland Page, Joshua Holland, and Madeline Holland; two great-grandsons, Leo James Page, and Liam Warren Raggard; sister, Bennie Morgan Creel of South Dakota, brother Charles Morgan of Mississippi, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Visitation will be at Faith Chapel North in Cantonment, Florida on Monday, May 2, 2016 from 5-8 p.m.. There will be a small memorial for family and close friends at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino at 10 a.m. on Tuesday May 3, 2016, followed by a brief graveside service.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North in Catonment is in charge of arrangements.
Hazel B. McCullough
April 30, 2016
Hazel B. McCullough, 79 of Walnut Hill, passed away Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Pensacola. She was a homemaker. She was born in Pineville on June 29, 1936, to the late Arthur Lee and Eula Seales Barlow.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Johnny McCullough.
Survivors include two sons, Steven McCullough of Enon and John (Kim) McCullough of Dry Springs; one daughter, Angela (Bill) English of Walnut Hill; one brother, Jerry (Debbie) Barlow of Dry Springs; nine grandchildren, Daniel, Emily, John Wesley, Hannah, Abby, Vanesse, Kendra, Destiny, and Jedd; seven great-grandchildren and two on the way.
Services will be Sunday, May 1, 2016, at 2 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Joe Gipson officiating.
Interment will follow in Dry Springs Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be John Wesley McCullough, Mason Coleman, Hunter Milliken, Jesse McCullough, Jason Barlow and Bob McCullough.
Honorary pallbearers will be Tyson and Levi Milliken.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.