Memorials for Victims

Criminal Details

ODMP.org
June 29, 2010

Officer David Curtis and Police Officer Jeffrey Kocab were shot and killed while attempting to make an arrest at a traffic stop at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 50th Street.

Officer Curtis stopped a vehicle because it did not have a visible license plate. He called for an additional unit to assist him because a male passenger in the car was wanted on a misdemeanor charge for writing a worthless check. When Officer Kocab arrived, he and Officer Curtis attempted to arrest the suspect. The suspect drew a weapon and shot both officers at close range.

A witness called 911 to report the shooting. Officer Kocab died shortly after arriving at the hospital and Officer Curtis was pronounced dead a few hours later.

The suspect surrendered and was taken into custody four days later. He was charged with five counts of first degree murder when it was determined he had committed three other murders in Tampa. On November 15th, 2013, he was convicted of murdering both officers and the jury subsequently recommended he receive the death penalty. He was formally sentenced to death on May 30th, 2014.

Officer Curtis had served with the Tampa Police Department for three years and eight months and had previously served with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. He is survived by his wife, four young sons, parents, and twin sister.

Criminal Details

PolkSheriff.org
Carrie Eleazer - April 24, 2010

Polk County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives have made an arrest in the homicide of 24-year-old Courtney Bright, charging the father of Ms. Bright’s girlfriend, Jerry Lee Seger, DOB 2/13/70, of Lakeland, with one count First Degree Murder.

According to the affidavit, detectives interviewed several friends and acquaintances of the victim’s after her body was found dead as a result of strangulation in a foreclosed home located at 3510 Knights Station Road in Lakeland. One of the first people the detectives identified and interviewed was Ashley Dunn, DOB 1/24/87, who is currently in the Polk County Jail on a warrant from Jackson County. Detectives learned that Dunn and Bright have been dating for approximately the past three years. Dunn gave the detectives the names and phone numbers of her and Bright’s friends. Dunn also told detectives that she and Bright had been at the house on Knights Stations Road (where Bright’s body was found) in the past to hang out with friends, and because they knew the previous owner of the house through Dunn’s father, Jerry Seger.

Detectives also interviewed Bright’s next-of-kin, her grandmother Mary Bright in Marianna, Florida, who gave them a list of phone numbers that Courtney Bright had most recently used from which to call her. With these phone numbers and the list of names from Courtney Bright’s girlfriend Ashley, detectives were able to follow the last days of Courtney Bright’s life.

On Friday, April 23rd, detectives interviewed a friend of the victim’s, Shawn Thompson, who told them he last heard from the victim on Tuesday, April 20th. Shawn said that Courtney called him and asked him for money and a place to stay. After the phone call, Jerry Seger (Ashley Dunn’s father) and another man, Rabon Strain, came over to Thompson’s house. After discussing with Seger what happened with Ashley and why she was in jail, Seger then asked Thompson if he had heard from Courtney Bright recently. Thompson then told him about his most recent telephone conversation with Courtney, and that he was going to pick her up and give her some money. At that point, Seger told Thompson he would go get the victim instead, and give her a bus ticket to leave town. Thompson did not call Courtney to tell her the change in plans. Thompson did not see Seger again until later that evening, and on April 22nd, but Seger did not mention Courtney on either of those subsequent occasions.

On Friday, April 23rd, detectives also interviewed Rabon Strain, who had accompanied Jerry Seger to Thompson’s house and later when he picked up Courtney Bright on April 20th. Strain said that in his presence Seger made several statements about Courtney, such as that he blamed his daughter Ashley’s arrest on her, and that he never liked her. He also told Strain that he was going to kill Courtney. According to Strain, throughout Tuesday, April 20th, Seger continued to drink alcohol and make spontaneous statements that he was going to kill Courtney. After Seger picked Courtney up on US Hwy 98, Strain asked Seger to take him to a friend’s house, where he was going to attempt to calm Seger down. However, after dropping Strain off, Seger drove away with Courtney in the car.

Jerry Seger called Rabon Strain about one-and-a-half hours after dropping him off at a friend’s house and told him he needed to talk. When Jerry got there, Strain noticed some women’s clothing and shoes, and a wallet, in the back of Jerry’s Ford Explorer. When Strain asked what happened to Courtney, Jerry told him that he had killed her by strangling her, and that he had disposed of her body. Strain tried to get Jerry to tell him where Courtney was so he could go check on her, but Jerry refused. Jerry Seger then told Strain not to tell anyone about what he had done. The victim’s clothes and wallet were also seen by the friend whose house Strain was at, and later by Jerry Seger’s girlfriend when Jerry went home.

The medical examiner determined during the autopsy which was conducted on Friday, April 23rd, that Courtney Bright died sometime during the evening hours of Tuesday, April 20th, or Wednesday, April 21st. She was also found wearing no clothes, except a pair of socks, with a T-shirt over her head.

Based on the sworn witness statements and the evidence recovered at the scene, detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of 40-year-old Jerry Seger, of 4429-A Stirrup Road in Lakeland, charging him with First Degree Murder, and placed him under arrest on Saturday, April 24, 2010. He has been booked into the Polk County Jail where he will remain under no bond until a first appearance hearing on Sunday.

Jerry Seger has been in the Polk County Jail on 12 previous occasions, on charges such as: Possession of Meth, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Cannabis, Resisting Arrest, Possession of Paraphernalia, Grand Theft, Forgery, VOP, No Valid DL, and Non-Payment of Child Support.

Criminal Details

The Dothan Eagle
Matt Elofson - Mar 16, 2016

Dothan police are looking for information in connection to the unsolved homicide of Grace Ann Bridges while she worked at the family-owned business “Dedert’s New and Used Furniture.”

Thursday marked the six-year anniversary of when someone fatally shot Bridges after entering the business located at 966 S. Park Ave. in Dothan.

Dothan Police Lt. Will Glover said police investigators continue work on Bridges' unsolved homicide.

Police have learned at least one gunman shot and killed 69-year-old Bridges during a robbery at the furniture store she owned and ran along South Park Avenue near Fortner Street. Police believe she was likely killed between noon and 2:15 p.m. on March 17, 2010.

Glover said an $18,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest in the homicide.

Anyone with information about the fatal shooting can call the Dothan Police Department at 334-615-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 334-793-7000.

Criminal Details

The Dothan Eagle
Matt Elofson - Aug 5, 2010

A Dothan man faces the possibility of life in prison after a jury found him guilty Thursday in what prosecutors called a gang-related murder.

After less than half an hour of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Gregory Gross.

Dothan police detectives arrested Gross, 27, and charged him with shooting Christopher Mackey to death on Sept. 22, 2009. Mackey suffered a single fatal gunshot wound while at Frank’s Billiard’s in the Dixie community.

Circuit Court Judge Larry Anderson informed the jury that they could also choose a lesser included offense in the case, which included manslaughter. Gross, who will remain held in the Houston County Jail, will be sentenced next month by Anderson.

Mackey’s mother, Virginia Morris, said the Mackey family will hopefully be able to move on with their lives after Gross’ conviction.

“He should have to pay for killing my only child,” Morris said. “I’m glad it’s over with. I’ll always miss him, but there will still be some closure.”

Morris said her son died trying to help someone else.

“He was trying to stop them from arguing,” she said. “My son wasn’t a fighter.”

Daphne Glanton, Gross’ sister, said she prayed for a not guilty verdict while the jury deliberated.

“I’m just scared because this is a serious charge, and this is his life,” Glanton said. “I know somebody else did it. I’ve seen the system help people, and I’ve seen the system hurt people.”

A jury acquitted Glanton earlier in the week for a drug trafficking charge.

Glanton said Mackey was not killed during a dispute between rival gangs as prosecutors alleged. She said it was a dispute between two men over a missing gold chain.

“It’s not an eastside or westside thing,” she said. “It’s just turned real ugly over a ‘he said-she said’ thing.”

District Attorney Doug Valeska said because of two prior felony convictions, Gross faces a “mandatory” punishment of either 99 years behind bars or life in prison.

“I’m relieved,” Morris said. “Justice has been served.”

Valeska argued to the jury that Gross intended to kill another man as part of a gang dispute.

“Don’t get confused, he wasn’t trying to kill Chris Mackey,” Valeska said. “He was a gang member who had a pistol, and took the law into his own hands. He had the intent, he knew it was loaded and he wanted a confrontation. He got gang justice by trying to get Bubba.”

Valeska said Gross had an argument with another man named Anthony “Bubba” Smith in the pool hall on the night of the shooting.

“Greg Gross took a pistol, and he was all amped up and looking for trouble,” Valeska said. “Bubba was unarmed, and just wanted to be left alone. He ran off into the dead of the night like a thief when he stole Chris’ life. Do the right thing today, and run the sword of justice right through his heart. Chris Mackey deserves justice.”

Attorney Dustin Byrd, who represented Gross, reminded the jury of how David Malone, who was in the bar on the night of the shooting, testified he did not see Gross with a gun.

Valeska countered with arguments that included how Malone admitted to using marijuana on that night, and that two other witnesses said they saw Gross pull the trigger.

Byrd said there were reasons to doubt the prosecution’s case, which included the lack of DNA evidence and no murder weapon was submitted.

“You’ve got an eye witness testimony, and he says Mr. Gross didn’t have a gun,” Byrd said. “What more do you need?”

Criminal Details

ODMP.org
Undated

Officer Dexter Hammond was shot and killed while responding to an officer down call involving a deputy from the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

A Henry County Sheriff's Deputy responded to a call of a man waving a shotgun around outside of his trailer. When that deputy arrived, he was shot and seriously wounded by the suspect.

When Officer Hammond arrived at the scene, the suspect shot and killed him with a rifle. Responding deputies also were fired upon when they arrived. They returned fire, killing the suspect.

Officer Hammond had served in law enforcement for 16 years. He is survived by his wife and son.

Criminal Details

NYDailyNews.com
The Associated Press - Mar. 12, 2009

SAMSON, Ala. - Deputy Joshua Myers was headed home in his police cruiser when he got a call that officers were chasing a man who’d fired on a trooper.

Myers joined in the pursuit of a gunman who turned out to be responsible for the worst mass shooting in Alabama’s history, arriving at a metals plant where officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter.

Myers thought of his young family and called a friend to check on them. The friend told him simply: "Get home now."

That was the first indication that Myers’ own wife and daughter were among the 10 people Michael McLendon killed before taking his own life.

Andrea D. Myers, 31, and 18-month-old Corrine Gracy Myers were gunned down while visiting neighbors across the street.

The deputy hasn’t been allowed back to that blood-soaked porch. Now he’s left to care for a young son and his 4-month-old daughter, Ella Grace, who was injured in the shooting. She was in fair condition at a Florida hospital, awaiting surgery for a leg wound.

"It still seems like I should be able to walk in the house and my wife should be there and my baby girl should be in there climbing on me," Myers said Wednesday, the morning after the shootings. He did not know the shooter. "I never in my life am gonna be able to fully understand it."

Andrea and Corrine Myers died alongside McLendon’s uncle and two of his cousins, on the porch next door to McLendon’s grandmother, who also was killed.

A witness said they had no time to react as their kin wordlessly and expressionlessly pulled the trigger, killing all of them.

The hourlong rampage began when he killed his mother and set her house ablaze, and he would kill three others seemingly at random and spray more than 200 bullets before shooting himself at the Reliable Metals plant in Samson.

Puzzled investigators found several clues as to what set off the rampage in these rural communities near the Florida state line - but the people who might be able to explain are all dead. Authorities hoped a list found in the charred skeleton of McLendon’s home might give them insight into what happened.

"We found a list of people he worked with, people who had done him wrong," said Coffee County District Attorney Gary McAliley.

The lists included a metals plant that had forced him to resign years ago and where he ended up killing himself Tuesday to end the rampage, McAliley said. Also on the list were a sausage factory from which he suddenly quit last week and a poultry plant that suspended his mother, McAliley said.

The pages torn from a spiral notebook included names of co-workers who he felt had wronged him, including one who reported him for not wearing ear plugs, another who made him clean a meat grinder and a supervisor who didn’t like the way he cut pork chops, McAliley said.

A co-worker at the sausage factory, Jerry Hysmith, said McLendon was shy, quiet and laid-back.

"Something had to snap," said Hysmith, 35, who lives in Samson, and worked with McLendon in 2001.

McLendon was briefly employed by the police department in Samson in 2003 and spent about a week and a half at the police academy, dropping out before he received firearms training, said Col. Chris Murphy, director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety. More recently, he worked nearly two years at food manufacturer and distributor Kelley Foods in Elba, about 25 miles north of where he shot most of his victims.

The company didn’t specify what his position was, but said in a statement that he was a "reliable team leader" who was well-liked. McLendon quit last Wednesday.

Though Kelley Foods said he left voluntarily, the company was on the list of those the gunman felt slighted by, McAliley said. So was the Reliable plant, and a Pilgrim’s Pride plant near Enterprise where his mother had worked. The district attorney said the mother had recently been laid off from the plant.

The other victims were identified as McLendon’s mother, Lisa McLendon, 52; his uncle, James Alford White, 55; his cousin, Tracy Michelle Wise, 34; a second cousin, Dean James Wise, 15; and his grandmother, Virginia E. White, 74. Also killed were James Irvin Starling, 24; Sonja Smith, 43; and Bruce Wilson Malloy, 51.

The first killed Tuesday was McLendon’s mother. Authorities said he put her on an L-shaped couch and set her afire. He said McLendon also shot four dogs at the house.

A dozen miles away, he gunned down the other relatives and sent panicked bystanders fleeing and ducking behind cars. His uncle’s wife, Phyllis White, sought refuge at a neighbor’s house after being chased out of her house.

McLendon returned moments later in his car as if he were still looking for her. Neighbor Tom Knowles then made eye contact with him.
"He had cold eyes. There was nothing. I hollered at him. I said, ’Look, boy, I ain’t done nothing to you,"’ Knowles said. McLendon then left for good.

McLendon shot more victims at random as he drove toward the metals plant where he once worked. Smith was struck down as she walked out of a gas station. Malloy was hit while driving. Starling was shot as he walked.

At the Reliable plant, McLendon got out of his car and fired at police with his assault rifle, wounding Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey, authorities said. He then walked inside and killed himself.

Once investigators got a look at the ammunition he was carrying, they feared the bloodshed could have been worse. "I’m convinced he went over there to kill more people. He was heavily armed," said Coffee County Sheriff Dave Sutton.

Back at the house, "the only thing that was alive was the 3-month-old baby," Ella, who lay bleeding, said Knowles. Myers, the deputy, and his neighbors are still trying to absorb the shock.

"I don’t know what else to say," Myers said. "Just keep praying for my baby girl."

Geneva County Massacre

The victims were:

• Lisa White McLendon, 52, Michael McLendon's mother
• James Alford White, 55, McLendon's uncle
• Tracy Michelle Wise, 34, daughter of James White
• Dean James Wise, 15, son of Tracy Wise
• Virginia E. White, 74, McLendon's grandmother
• Andrea Dawn Myers, 31
• Corrine Gracy Myers, 18 months, daughter of Andrea Myers
• James Irvin Starling, 24
• Sonya Lolley Smith, 43
• Bruce Wilson Maloy, 51

FindAGrave.com
Don Atwell - Mar. 12, 2009
View on FindAGrave.com

Alabama Department of Public Safety

MONTGOMERY – State, federal and local investigators responding to the multiple homicides March 10 in south Alabama are piecing together the sequence of events that resulted in the shooting deaths of 10 victims, the injury of six individuals, and the death of the suspect from a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators also are working to determine a motive for the deadly attacks.

The gunman has been identified as Michael Kenneth McLendon, 28, of Coffee County.

We believe the attacks began at McLendon's mother's residence in Coffee County on County Road 474 in Kinston, where McLendon also lived. The body of a woman was discovered at the residence at approximately 3:30 p.m. when local firefighters responded to witness reports of a fire at that location. The Department of Forensic Sciences is working to confirm the identity, but the victim is believed to be Lisa White McLendon, 52, McLendon's mother.

McLendon then traveled to Samson in Geneva County, where he shot and killed five individuals on the front porch of his uncle's residence on West Pullum Street. The victims are identified as:

• Corrine Gracy Myers, 18 months, the daughter of Geneva County Deputy Josh Myers
• Andrea D. Myers, 31, mother of the 18-month-old and wife of Deputy Myers
• James Alford White, 55, identified as McLendon's uncle
• Tracy Michelle Wise, 34, identified as McLendon's cousin
• Dean James Wise, 15, identified as Ms. Wise's son and McLendon's second cousin

Injured at that residence was 4-month-old Ella K. Myers, the daughter of Deputy Myers. Ella was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. This morning she was listed in stable condition and scheduled for surgery.

McLendon then shot and killed Virginia E. White, 74, identified as McLendon's grandmother, who was standing in the doorway of her home on Pullum Street, next door to the residence where the first attack occurred.

McLendon then left Pullum Street, traveling north on Wise Street in a red 2003 Mitsubishi. On Wise Street, McLendon shot and killed a pedestrian, James Irvin Starling, 24. McLendon continued north onto Main Street in Samson, where he shot and injured Jeffrey Lynn Nelson, 50.

McLendon then traveled to the Inland Gas Station on Main Street in Samson, where he shot and killed Sonja Smith, 43. Injured at that location was Greg McCullough, 49. McLendon continued traveling east on Alabama 52, firing rounds into several businesses and vehicles as he drove.

At 4:01 p.m. CDT, an Alabama state trooper notified the Dothan State Trooper Post that he had received a report of a subject shooting at people in Samson, and the trooper proceeded toward Samson on Alabama 52.

McLendon, traveling east on Highway 52 toward Geneva, then shot and killed Bruce Wilson Malloy, 51, who was traveling in a vehicle on 52.

At 4:06 p.m. CDT, the Alabama state trooper encountered McLendon on Alabama 52, and McLendon fired at least seven rounds into the trooper's vehicle. The trooper, Mike Gillis, was injured slightly by broken glass, and continued the pursuit on McLendon into Geneva.

The Geneva Police Department attempted to stop McLendon using a PIT, or pursuit intervention maneuver, in front of the Wal-Mart in Geneva. McLendon fired several rounds into the officer's vehicle, injuring him with glass fragments. Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey attempted to block McLendon's exit from the area, at which time McLendon fired several rounds at the chief. Chief Lindsey was wounded in the shoulder.

McLendon continued on Highway 52, turned onto Maple Avenue in Geneva, and then onto Highway 27 north. He stopped at Reliable Products in Geneva at 4:17 p.m., where he exited his vehicle. McLendon exchanged fire with a Geneva County deputy and a state Conservation officer before entering the Reliable Products building. Within minutes, gunshots were heard, and McLendon was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

McLendon was employed at Kelley Foods of Alabama. We have identified that in 2003, he was briefly employed as a police officer in Samson, but failed to complete required training at the police academy in Montgomery. He had no known criminal record.

McLendon was armed with two assault rifles, an SKS and a Bushmaster, using high-capacity magazines taped together; a shotgun; and a .38-caliber handgun. At this time we believe that he fired in excess of 200 rounds during the assaults.

In addition to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, agencies participating in the investigation are the Geneva County Sheriff's Department, Geneva Police Department, Samson Police Department, Coffee County Sheriff's Department, Dothan Police Department, Dale County Sheriff's Department, Andalusia Police Department, Covington County Sheriff's Department, New Brockton Police Department, Ozark Police Department, State Fire Marshal, Alabama Beverage Control Board, Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Forensic Sciences, Emergency Management Agency, Alabama Power Company investigators, the FBI, ATF, and Ft. Rucker Police Department.

Other News Links

March 2009 - V.O.C.A.L. Samson Massacre Story

March 11, 2009 1am - CNN.com

March 11, 2009 10pm - CNN.com

March 11, 2009 - ABCNEWS.com

March 11, 2009 - NYTimes.com

Wikipedia - Geneva County Massacre

Michael McLendon - Murderpedia.com

Criminal Details

NYDailyNews.com
The Associated Press - Mar. 12, 2009

SAMSON, Ala. - Deputy Joshua Myers was headed home in his police cruiser when he got a call that officers were chasing a man who’d fired on a trooper.

Myers joined in the pursuit of a gunman who turned out to be responsible for the worst mass shooting in Alabama’s history, arriving at a metals plant where officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter.

Myers thought of his young family and called a friend to check on them. The friend told him simply: "Get home now."

That was the first indication that Myers’ own wife and daughter were among the 10 people Michael McLendon killed before taking his own life.

Andrea D. Myers, 31, and 18-month-old Corrine Gracy Myers were gunned down while visiting neighbors across the street.

The deputy hasn’t been allowed back to that blood-soaked porch. Now he’s left to care for a young son and his 4-month-old daughter, Ella Grace, who was injured in the shooting. She was in fair condition at a Florida hospital, awaiting surgery for a leg wound.

"It still seems like I should be able to walk in the house and my wife should be there and my baby girl should be in there climbing on me," Myers said Wednesday, the morning after the shootings. He did not know the shooter. "I never in my life am gonna be able to fully understand it."

Andrea and Corrine Myers died alongside McLendon’s uncle and two of his cousins, on the porch next door to McLendon’s grandmother, who also was killed.

A witness said they had no time to react as their kin wordlessly and expressionlessly pulled the trigger, killing all of them.

The hourlong rampage began when he killed his mother and set her house ablaze, and he would kill three others seemingly at random and spray more than 200 bullets before shooting himself at the Reliable Metals plant in Samson.

Puzzled investigators found several clues as to what set off the rampage in these rural communities near the Florida state line - but the people who might be able to explain are all dead. Authorities hoped a list found in the charred skeleton of McLendon’s home might give them insight into what happened.

"We found a list of people he worked with, people who had done him wrong," said Coffee County District Attorney Gary McAliley.

The lists included a metals plant that had forced him to resign years ago and where he ended up killing himself Tuesday to end the rampage, McAliley said. Also on the list were a sausage factory from which he suddenly quit last week and a poultry plant that suspended his mother, McAliley said.

The pages torn from a spiral notebook included names of co-workers who he felt had wronged him, including one who reported him for not wearing ear plugs, another who made him clean a meat grinder and a supervisor who didn’t like the way he cut pork chops, McAliley said.

A co-worker at the sausage factory, Jerry Hysmith, said McLendon was shy, quiet and laid-back.

"Something had to snap," said Hysmith, 35, who lives in Samson, and worked with McLendon in 2001.

McLendon was briefly employed by the police department in Samson in 2003 and spent about a week and a half at the police academy, dropping out before he received firearms training, said Col. Chris Murphy, director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety. More recently, he worked nearly two years at food manufacturer and distributor Kelley Foods in Elba, about 25 miles north of where he shot most of his victims.

The company didn’t specify what his position was, but said in a statement that he was a "reliable team leader" who was well-liked. McLendon quit last Wednesday.

Though Kelley Foods said he left voluntarily, the company was on the list of those the gunman felt slighted by, McAliley said. So was the Reliable plant, and a Pilgrim’s Pride plant near Enterprise where his mother had worked. The district attorney said the mother had recently been laid off from the plant.

The other victims were identified as McLendon’s mother, Lisa McLendon, 52; his uncle, James Alford White, 55; his cousin, Tracy Michelle Wise, 34; a second cousin, Dean James Wise, 15; and his grandmother, Virginia E. White, 74. Also killed were James Irvin Starling, 24; Sonja Smith, 43; and Bruce Wilson Malloy, 51.

The first killed Tuesday was McLendon’s mother. Authorities said he put her on an L-shaped couch and set her afire. He said McLendon also shot four dogs at the house.

A dozen miles away, he gunned down the other relatives and sent panicked bystanders fleeing and ducking behind cars. His uncle’s wife, Phyllis White, sought refuge at a neighbor’s house after being chased out of her house.

McLendon returned moments later in his car as if he were still looking for her. Neighbor Tom Knowles then made eye contact with him.
"He had cold eyes. There was nothing. I hollered at him. I said, ’Look, boy, I ain’t done nothing to you,"’ Knowles said. McLendon then left for good.

McLendon shot more victims at random as he drove toward the metals plant where he once worked. Smith was struck down as she walked out of a gas station. Malloy was hit while driving. Starling was shot as he walked.

At the Reliable plant, McLendon got out of his car and fired at police with his assault rifle, wounding Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey, authorities said. He then walked inside and killed himself.

Once investigators got a look at the ammunition he was carrying, they feared the bloodshed could have been worse. "I’m convinced he went over there to kill more people. He was heavily armed," said Coffee County Sheriff Dave Sutton.

Back at the house, "the only thing that was alive was the 3-month-old baby," Ella, who lay bleeding, said Knowles. Myers, the deputy, and his neighbors are still trying to absorb the shock.

"I don’t know what else to say," Myers said. "Just keep praying for my baby girl."

Geneva County Massacre

The victims were:

• Lisa White McLendon, 52, Michael McLendon's mother
• James Alford White, 55, McLendon's uncle
• Tracy Michelle Wise, 34, daughter of James White
• Dean James Wise, 15, son of Tracy Wise
• Virginia E. White, 74, McLendon's grandmother
• Andrea Dawn Myers, 31
• Corrine Gracy Myers, 18 months, daughter of Andrea Myers
• James Irvin Starling, 24
• Sonya Lolley Smith, 43
• Bruce Wilson Maloy, 51

FindAGrave.com
Don Atwell - Mar. 12, 2009
View on FindAGrave.com

Alabama Department of Public Safety

MONTGOMERY – State, federal and local investigators responding to the multiple homicides March 10 in south Alabama are piecing together the sequence of events that resulted in the shooting deaths of 10 victims, the injury of six individuals, and the death of the suspect from a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators also are working to determine a motive for the deadly attacks.

The gunman has been identified as Michael Kenneth McLendon, 28, of Coffee County.

We believe the attacks began at McLendon's mother's residence in Coffee County on County Road 474 in Kinston, where McLendon also lived. The body of a woman was discovered at the residence at approximately 3:30 p.m. when local firefighters responded to witness reports of a fire at that location. The Department of Forensic Sciences is working to confirm the identity, but the victim is believed to be Lisa White McLendon, 52, McLendon's mother.

McLendon then traveled to Samson in Geneva County, where he shot and killed five individuals on the front porch of his uncle's residence on West Pullum Street. The victims are identified as:

• Corrine Gracy Myers, 18 months, the daughter of Geneva County Deputy Josh Myers
• Andrea D. Myers, 31, mother of the 18-month-old and wife of Deputy Myers
• James Alford White, 55, identified as McLendon's uncle
• Tracy Michelle Wise, 34, identified as McLendon's cousin
• Dean James Wise, 15, identified as Ms. Wise's son and McLendon's second cousin

Injured at that residence was 4-month-old Ella K. Myers, the daughter of Deputy Myers. Ella was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. This morning she was listed in stable condition and scheduled for surgery.

McLendon then shot and killed Virginia E. White, 74, identified as McLendon's grandmother, who was standing in the doorway of her home on Pullum Street, next door to the residence where the first attack occurred.

McLendon then left Pullum Street, traveling north on Wise Street in a red 2003 Mitsubishi. On Wise Street, McLendon shot and killed a pedestrian, James Irvin Starling, 24. McLendon continued north onto Main Street in Samson, where he shot and injured Jeffrey Lynn Nelson, 50.

McLendon then traveled to the Inland Gas Station on Main Street in Samson, where he shot and killed Sonja Smith, 43. Injured at that location was Greg McCullough, 49. McLendon continued traveling east on Alabama 52, firing rounds into several businesses and vehicles as he drove.

At 4:01 p.m. CDT, an Alabama state trooper notified the Dothan State Trooper Post that he had received a report of a subject shooting at people in Samson, and the trooper proceeded toward Samson on Alabama 52.

McLendon, traveling east on Highway 52 toward Geneva, then shot and killed Bruce Wilson Malloy, 51, who was traveling in a vehicle on 52.

At 4:06 p.m. CDT, the Alabama state trooper encountered McLendon on Alabama 52, and McLendon fired at least seven rounds into the trooper's vehicle. The trooper, Mike Gillis, was injured slightly by broken glass, and continued the pursuit on McLendon into Geneva.

The Geneva Police Department attempted to stop McLendon using a PIT, or pursuit intervention maneuver, in front of the Wal-Mart in Geneva. McLendon fired several rounds into the officer's vehicle, injuring him with glass fragments. Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey attempted to block McLendon's exit from the area, at which time McLendon fired several rounds at the chief. Chief Lindsey was wounded in the shoulder.

McLendon continued on Highway 52, turned onto Maple Avenue in Geneva, and then onto Highway 27 north. He stopped at Reliable Products in Geneva at 4:17 p.m., where he exited his vehicle. McLendon exchanged fire with a Geneva County deputy and a state Conservation officer before entering the Reliable Products building. Within minutes, gunshots were heard, and McLendon was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

McLendon was employed at Kelley Foods of Alabama. We have identified that in 2003, he was briefly employed as a police officer in Samson, but failed to complete required training at the police academy in Montgomery. He had no known criminal record.

McLendon was armed with two assault rifles, an SKS and a Bushmaster, using high-capacity magazines taped together; a shotgun; and a .38-caliber handgun. At this time we believe that he fired in excess of 200 rounds during the assaults.

In addition to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, agencies participating in the investigation are the Geneva County Sheriff's Department, Geneva Police Department, Samson Police Department, Coffee County Sheriff's Department, Dothan Police Department, Dale County Sheriff's Department, Andalusia Police Department, Covington County Sheriff's Department, New Brockton Police Department, Ozark Police Department, State Fire Marshal, Alabama Beverage Control Board, Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Forensic Sciences, Emergency Management Agency, Alabama Power Company investigators, the FBI, ATF, and Ft. Rucker Police Department.

Other News Links

March 2009 - V.O.C.A.L. Samson Massacre Story

March 11, 2009 1am - CNN.com

March 11, 2009 10pm - CNN.com

March 11, 2009 - ABCNEWS.com

March 11, 2009 - NYTimes.com

Wikipedia - Geneva County Massacre

Michael McLendon - Murderpedia.com

Criminal Details

The Dothan Eagle
Lance Griffin - Apr. 22, 2009

Michael McLendon was not obsessed with guns as much as he was with shooting, and when he rode through Samson on the afternoon of March 10, firing indiscriminantly at passers-by, he was smiling.

McLendon, who killed 10 and then himself in the deadliest mass shooting in Alabama history, had been planning to kill his mother, himself and others at a later date, but moved up his plan after his mother was suspended from her job just before the killing spree.

Many of the details of the events leading up to the deadly assault were revealed in a 25-page investigative summary report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Coffee County District Attorney’s Office. The information was made available in response to an Alabama Open Records request from the Dothan Eagle.

Because the incidents took place in two counties over several jurisdictions, numerous law enforcement agencies took part in investigating all or part of the day’s events. A similar request for information sent to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation was denied. A separate request to the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office has not been answered.

Authorities found a printed letter from McLendon to a family member in a mailbox near his home in Kinston, hours after his mother was found murdered in the home along with the family dogs. The letter indicated his intent to kill her and others:

Moma was very sick. Had lung cancer I think. So I put her out of her misery. She wanted to die with her dog’s and she did. I put the dog's to sleep as well. I couldn't leave this world not knowing what would happen to our dog's. Moma didn't know what hit her. I shot her while she was asleep. She never knew what hit her. Nor did the dog's.

I'm sorry! But Moma had suffered enough. And so have I. Some of the people who made us suffer will pay.

I had planned to put this off for a while but Moma got suspended today. Wasn't her falt. You know moma always worked hard ... She said she didn't care and was relieved and She was. I carried her to get some Beer and walked around for a while out side, moma Loved it there.

For me I've been miserable for a long time and can't take it no more. Moma could have gotten on at Wayne Farms. But that would have finished her. I couldn't stand by and see that happen.

Please For Give me, Michael

Lisa McLendon was suspended from her job March 8. Her suspension letter indicated she would be allowed to return March 17. Evidence indicates Michael McLendon quit his job at Kelley Foods March 4. He did not give employers a reason.

After the events in Kinston, McLendon drove to Samson, armed with a small arsenal. Investigators found 22 empty ammunition boxes in the Kinston home. He killed other family members in Samson and then began firing at random people throughout town. Coffee County 911 received at least two calls from people who said McLendon shot at them, including one from a woman who was close enough to see his face.

“He was shooting all the way down 52 headed toward Geneva ... He shot at me ... He was shooting at everybody. He was shooting out of both sides of the car ... He had glasses on. He was unshaven. He had brown hair, and he was smiling. I was that close to him as he was doing it,” said a woman who called Coffee County 911 after traveling from Samson to Kinston.

Police chased McLendon into Geneva, where he engaged in a shootout with law enforcement before traveling to Reliable Products on State Highway 27. He engaged in another shootout with law enforcement before entering the business and killing himself. Police believe McLendon fired more than 200 rounds.

Evidence collected from the McLendon home indicates he had an obsession with shooting and gunfights. Coffee County Sheriff’s and District Attorney investigators recovered about 40 DVDs dealing with firing weapons in combat situations. Among the titles of the DVDs were “Move! Shoot. Learn to survive a gunfight”, “Shooting at and from moving vehicles”, “Advanced guide to Combat Shooting and Gunfight Survival” and “Rapid Firepower — Submachine Guns … Assault Rifles … The Urban Battlefield.”

Other evidence collected included about a dozen DVDs depicting various types of pornography, two loaded 410 shotguns and a bayonet which had been stuck into a can of paint thinner, which was believed to be the accelerant used to start a fire that burned part of the home.

Other evidence revealed glimpses of a man who failed in attempts to be a Marine and a police officer and who made notes about coworkers who he believed had wronged him.

A letter written by McLendon to his mother soon after his high school graduation hinted at what would soon be a futile attempt at becoming a Marine.

“Can’t swim ... can’t do enough pullups ... shoulder problems ... not making the grade,” McLendon wrote.

He was discharged from Marine basic training in October of 1999 for “fraudulent entry”, apparently failing to disclose that he suffered from chronic shoulder dislocations. In a discharge letter from Marine Corps Capt. D.H. Peterson, Jr., he wrote, “He needs to improve his physical strength and confidence … He does not appear mentally sharp.”

In September of 2003, he was discharged from the regional police academy in Montgomery when he failed his physical. Evidence collected indicates the City of Samson billed McLendon for $227 for charges incurred while he was in Montgomery attending the academy.

Michael McLendon was born Michael Kenneth West on Sept. 19, 1980, the son of Lisa and Randell West. They divorced just four months later. Lisa soon married David McLendon and David McLendon officially adopted Michael in 1985, and Michael took on the McLendon name. Lisa and David McLendon divorced in 1992.

Many who knew Michael McLendon said he appeared well adjusted. Samson Mayor Clay King coached McLendon in Pee Wee and Little League baseball.

“He was always very respectful, did what he was asked to do,” King said. “He was kind of quiet, but not to the point that you would consider it abnormal.”

And Lisa McLendon appeared to love her son. A family Bible was found in the McLendon home. Inside the front cover are two paragraphs, apparently written by Lisa McLendon:

On September 19, 1980 Michael Kenneth (McLendon) was born in Wiregrass Hospital, Geneva Alabama. He was born at 1:31 that afternoon. He weighed 8 lb. 13 oz. and was 20 1/2’’ long. This was the happiest day of my life.

As Michael grows older, he becomes a more important part of my life. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I love you son.

Geneva County Massacre

The victims were:

• Lisa White McLendon, 52, Michael McLendon's mother
• James Alford White, 55, McLendon's uncle
• Tracy Michelle Wise, 34, daughter of James White
• Dean James Wise, 15, son of Tracy Wise
• Virginia E. White, 74, McLendon's grandmother
• Andrea Dawn Myers, 31
• Corrine Gracy Myers, 18 months, daughter of Andrea Myers
• James Irvin Starling, 24
• Sonya Lolley Smith, 43
• Bruce Wilson Maloy, 51

FindAGrave.com
Don Atwell - Mar. 12, 2009
View on FindAGrave.com

Alabama Department of Public Safety

MONTGOMERY – State, federal and local investigators responding to the multiple homicides March 10 in south Alabama are piecing together the sequence of events that resulted in the shooting deaths of 10 victims, the injury of six individuals, and the death of the suspect from a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators also are working to determine a motive for the deadly attacks.

The gunman has been identified as Michael Kenneth McLendon, 28, of Coffee County.

We believe the attacks began at McLendon's mother's residence in Coffee County on County Road 474 in Kinston, where McLendon also lived. The body of a woman was discovered at the residence at approximately 3:30 p.m. when local firefighters responded to witness reports of a fire at that location. The Department of Forensic Sciences is working to confirm the identity, but the victim is believed to be Lisa White McLendon, 52, McLendon's mother.

McLendon then traveled to Samson in Geneva County, where he shot and killed five individuals on the front porch of his uncle's residence on West Pullum Street. The victims are identified as:

• Corrine Gracy Myers, 18 months, the daughter of Geneva County Deputy Josh Myers
• Andrea D. Myers, 31, mother of the 18-month-old and wife of Deputy Myers
• James Alford White, 55, identified as McLendon's uncle
• Tracy Michelle Wise, 34, identified as McLendon's cousin
• Dean James Wise, 15, identified as Ms. Wise's son and McLendon's second cousin

Injured at that residence was 4-month-old Ella K. Myers, the daughter of Deputy Myers. Ella was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. This morning she was listed in stable condition and scheduled for surgery.

McLendon then shot and killed Virginia E. White, 74, identified as McLendon's grandmother, who was standing in the doorway of her home on Pullum Street, next door to the residence where the first attack occurred.

McLendon then left Pullum Street, traveling north on Wise Street in a red 2003 Mitsubishi. On Wise Street, McLendon shot and killed a pedestrian, James Irvin Starling, 24. McLendon continued north onto Main Street in Samson, where he shot and injured Jeffrey Lynn Nelson, 50.

McLendon then traveled to the Inland Gas Station on Main Street in Samson, where he shot and killed Sonja Smith, 43. Injured at that location was Greg McCullough, 49. McLendon continued traveling east on Alabama 52, firing rounds into several businesses and vehicles as he drove.

At 4:01 p.m. CDT, an Alabama state trooper notified the Dothan State Trooper Post that he had received a report of a subject shooting at people in Samson, and the trooper proceeded toward Samson on Alabama 52.

McLendon, traveling east on Highway 52 toward Geneva, then shot and killed Bruce Wilson Malloy, 51, who was traveling in a vehicle on 52.

At 4:06 p.m. CDT, the Alabama state trooper encountered McLendon on Alabama 52, and McLendon fired at least seven rounds into the trooper's vehicle. The trooper, Mike Gillis, was injured slightly by broken glass, and continued the pursuit on McLendon into Geneva.

The Geneva Police Department attempted to stop McLendon using a PIT, or pursuit intervention maneuver, in front of the Wal-Mart in Geneva. McLendon fired several rounds into the officer's vehicle, injuring him with glass fragments. Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey attempted to block McLendon's exit from the area, at which time McLendon fired several rounds at the chief. Chief Lindsey was wounded in the shoulder.

McLendon continued on Highway 52, turned onto Maple Avenue in Geneva, and then onto Highway 27 north. He stopped at Reliable Products in Geneva at 4:17 p.m., where he exited his vehicle. McLendon exchanged fire with a Geneva County deputy and a state Conservation officer before entering the Reliable Products building. Within minutes, gunshots were heard, and McLendon was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

McLendon was employed at Kelley Foods of Alabama. We have identified that in 2003, he was briefly employed as a police officer in Samson, but failed to complete required training at the police academy in Montgomery. He had no known criminal record.

McLendon was armed with two assault rifles, an SKS and a Bushmaster, using high-capacity magazines taped together; a shotgun; and a .38-caliber handgun. At this time we believe that he fired in excess of 200 rounds during the assaults.

In addition to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, agencies participating in the investigation are the Geneva County Sheriff's Department, Geneva Police Department, Samson Police Department, Coffee County Sheriff's Department, Dothan Police Department, Dale County Sheriff's Department, Andalusia Police Department, Covington County Sheriff's Department, New Brockton Police Department, Ozark Police Department, State Fire Marshal, Alabama Beverage Control Board, Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Forensic Sciences, Emergency Management Agency, Alabama Power Company investigators, the FBI, ATF, and Ft. Rucker Police Department.

Other News Links

March 2009 - V.O.C.A.L. Samson Massacre Story

March 11, 2009 1am - CNN.com

March 11, 2009 10pm - CNN.com

March 11, 2009 - ABCNEWS.com

March 11, 2009 - NYTimes.com

Wikipedia - Geneva County Massacre

Michael McLendon - Murderpedia.com