Friday March 14,
Daily Corinthian
Breezy
2014
50 cents
Vol. 118, No. 62
Today
Tonight
66
47
20% chance of storms
• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • 2 sections
Police release shooting suspect BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth Police released the suspect in the shooting and assault case of two Corinth men. Akeem Garth, 20, of 291 Munn Avenue, Walnut was released without charges Thursday afternoon after a overnight stay in the Alcorn County jail
26, of 136 County Road 715, Corinth and Wesley Stover, 27, of Corinth around 5 p.m. Tuesday evening at a 172 Forrest School Road home. “It appears Garth was at the residence with a possible girlfriend who lives there when the two victims showed up and got into a physical confrontation,”
and intense questioning with investigators. “We believe Mr. Garth may have acted in self defense,” said Detective Capt. Ralph Dance. “A grand jury will be presented the case next month. They will decide if any charge should be filed.” Garth shot Travis Willis,
said Dance. Apparently, Willis and Stover went over to the Forrest School Road address to confront Garth after he supposedly assaulted the woman, who is Stover’s sister-in-law, earlier that day. Dance said the suspect sustained facial injuries from the
confrontation. “At some point he retrieved a handgun from his car and shot the victims,” added the detective captain. Willis was shot once in the leg and another time in the left arm. Stover was shot once in the abdomen area. The weapon was a 9MM pistol.
Horse continues to cause concern Hearing
date set in lawsuit
BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
The apparently mistreated Box Chapel Road horse that went viral on Wednesday was being cared for by the animal’s owners and a local veterinarian on Thursday. Dr. Matt McGee, D.V.M. of Corinth Animal Care Center talked with the horse’s owners Chris Smith and Sandee Collier while the 24-year-old horse laid on a grassy spot in the middle of the 60 acre pasture. “We have done nothing but help this horse,” Collier said. “It’s not our nature not to care for our animals.” Photos of the horse laying on the ground appeared on Facebook early Wednesday morning. Within a few hours, the photos had been shared more than 100 times. The photos showed the horse’s rib cage and hip bones popping out of her skin. “She’s eating and is acting like she wants to get up, but she can’t,” said McGee. “If she doesn’t stand within 24 hours, she will need to be put to sleep.” McGee said a horse her age should be eating the Purina brand Senior Healthy feed. “I will perform some tests at my office on her blood and will send a test to MSU to make sure it’s not the West Nile Virus,” added McGee. “She also could have some type of cancer.” McGee advised the owners to nurse the horse with senior feed, hay and pediasure or some type of neutralized wa-
BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
ed.” Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter Volunteer Director Charlotte Doehner stayed with the downed horse almost the entire day. “I am here to make sure everything is being done that can be done and to make sure a vet is caring for the horse,” said Doehner. Mayor Tommy Irwin showed up midday with a truck load of hay bales for the starving equine. According to Smith, he was given the horse from the Burcham family in July 2013.
A trial date has been set, along with a date for a conference regarding potential settlement, in a lawsuit filed against the City of Booneville and two city police officers by the family of a man who died after being shot during an altercation with police. A case management conference for the federal suit against the city and police officers Brian Mays and Rusty McCoy was held Jan. 22 and a timetable was laid out for the remainder of proceedings in the case. Mays, McCoy and the city were sued last year by the sons of David Andrew Curtiss who claim their father’s civil rights were violated through the use of excessive force and other violations when he was shot by McCoy on April 23, 2012. Curtiss died following the shooting which occurred as officers responded to a 911 call reporting a disturbance outside the home of his ex-wife, Cheryl Curtiss, on Stanley Street Extended. A jury trial in the lawsuit has been set for Feb. 23, 2015, in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen before U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock. A settlement conference has been scheduled for April 1 of this year.
Please see HORSE | 3A
Please see LAWSUIT | 3A
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Dr. Matt McGee, D.V.M. of Corinth Animal Care Center, checks on the health of the 24-year-old horse. ter. “A lot of her problems might be weather and stress related,” he said. “When it’s 60 degrees during the day and 30 degrees at night, it’s really hard on horses – especially older horses.” Corinth Police Chief David Lancaster, who first checked on the horse Wednesday afternoon, returned Thursday morning. “She looks better than she did,” Lancaster said. “She has been eating good and has tried to get up several times.” Lancaster was contacted Wednesday by Lydia Sattler, the state director of Humane
Society of America. “We have talked back and fourth,” said Lancaster. “Every time I have an update on the horse, I’ve called Ms. Lydia to give her the news.” Sattler, who oversees all reported animal cruelty cases in Mississippi, was working on another case across the state on Thursday and was unable to visit Corinth. “When we have an emergency case like the one in Corinth, I normally am on location with the animal ensuring proper care,” Sattler said. “I have made Chief Lancaster aware of our resources and he has done a good job keeping me updat-
Fraser shares inspirational story at Lenten Luncheon BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
7th Cook-Off in the works BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
The Crossroads Chili CookOff has cooked up six successful years and event organizers have big plans for the seventh year. “I’m always trying to tell people how fun this event is,” said cook-off chairperson Steve Knight. “Stop by the Cook-Off, walk down Wick Street and visit with professional teams from across the country and try some of the best chili on Please see COOK-OFF | 3A
We can be confident God loves us. Rev. Ann Benton Fraser shared the inspirational message to over 100 individuals during the second week of the 34th Annual Lenten Luncheons on Wednesday. The St. Paul’s Episcopal Church reverend told the story of former Wall Street trader Sam Polk. “His last year on Wall Street his bonus was $3.6 million and he was angry because it wasn’t enough,” said Fraser. “Money drove his existence … it could sooth the woes in his house.” Fraser pointed out that we are like Polk in some ways. “It’s a story about us too,” she said. “We are forever mistaking the source and substance of our importance … we look at social media and think someone else is living our dream.”
Fear plays a part in feeling we don’t deserve the love of others. “What I see and have is enough because I know I belong to God,” said Fraser. “There is nothing to change that God loves you … it’s a gift that can’t be ungiven, you might not accept it, but it can’t be taken back.” The assurance of God’s love frees us, according to the speaker. “When we are confident we are loved by God, it frees us up to love other people,” said Fraser. The annual luncheons, done by the First United Methodist Women, continue through April 9. Luncheons take place at noon each Wednesday. Cost is $6 with all proceeds going to support local and state mission projects of First United Methodist Church. The remaining speakers include: March 19 – Rev. John
Index Stocks......8A Classified......4B Comics...... 7A State......5A
Weather......9A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....10A
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Rev. Ann Fraser (left) was the guest speaker during the second week of the annual Lenten Luncheons at First United Methodist Church. Moore, District Superintendent; March 26 – Rev. Ann Kaufman, Pickwick United Methodist; April 2 – Dr. Don
Elliott, First Presbyterian Church; April 9 – Rev. Ginger Jones Holland, Cornerstone United Methodist Church.
On this day in history 150 years ago Red River Campaign. Union forces under Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith capture Fort De Russy, Louisiana. Smith and his 10,000 Westerners are on loan to Gen. Banks from Sherman’s army and theirs is the only success of the campaign.
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