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The Southeast Sun
Kay Kirkland - Oct. 30, 2002
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A man convicted recently in the murder of an 87-year-old widow who lived near Daleville was sentenced to death Monday by Houston County Circuit Judge Ed Jackson.

A Houston County jury recommended the death penalty for Rex Allen Beckworth after convicting him at the conclusion of his trail in September.

Beckworth, 34, was convicted of capital murder Sept. 16 in the January 2000 murder of Bessie Lee Thweatt. Beckworth's step-brother, James Earl Walker, still faces trial in the case in November.

Mrs. Thweatt lived near the Houston/Dale County line on Highway 84 East. She had lived in the same house for 50 years. Her body was found by relatives Monday, Jan. 10, 2000.

Preliminary autopsy results showed Mrs. Thweatt died of a gunshot wound to the head, and she appeared to have sustained significant trauma by blows to her body before she died.

The Houston County Sheriff's Department investigation had centered on the theft of a .22 caliber rifle taken in a burglary in the north Alabama city of Piedmont Dec. 29, 1999 which was believed to have been used to kill Mrs. Thweatt sometime during the weekend of Jan. 8-10. Beckworth reportedly contended in the trial that his step-brother had fired the shot that killed Mrs. Thweatt

Sheriff's Department Commander Bill Land said burglary led to the killing. "It was a senseless killing," he said.

Beckworth and Walker were both charged with capital murder in connection with the execution-style slaying of Mrs. Thweatt. The investigation had involved law enforcement agencies throughout the state and in neighboring states, as well as the FBI.

Land said Beckworth and Walker surfaced as suspects in the brutal murder shortly after a rifle believed to be the murder weapon was found in a creek near Mrs. Thweatt's home. The Remington Speed Master Model 552, with its stock removed, was found Jan. 21, 2000 in the creek at Power Dam Road.

The rifle was later determined by forensic experts to be the same weapon used to kill the elderly widow. The trail of evidence eventually led to warrants issued for Beckworth and Walker, who were taken into custody weeks apart at different locations.

Other News Links

November 10, 2009 - DothanEagle.com

Case Law 1041931 - March 30, 2007 - FindLaw.com

August 21, 2003 - WTVY.com (Video)

September 18, 2002 - SoutheastSun.com

August 16, 2000 - SoutheastSun.com

Criminal Details

caselaw.FindLaw.com
August 25, 2006

Antonio Devoe Jones was convicted of one count of murder made capital in connection with the death of Ruth Kirkland because it was committed during the course of a burglary in the first degree. See § 13A-5-40(a)(4), Ala.Code 1975. The jury recommended, by a vote of 11 to 1, that Jones be sentenced to death. The trial court accepted the jury's recommendation and sentenced Jones to death.

The State's evidence tended to show that on the afternoon of December 31, 1999, 80-year-old Ruth Kirkland drove her 1990 white Cadillac automobile to the grocery store to purchase groceries. Mrs. Kirkland, who had lived alone since the death of her husband, was a petite woman, who had suffered a stroke, leaving her with a limp and a weak right arm. As a result of the stroke, Mrs. Kirkland used a walker or a cane to get around. It was generally known in the community that Mrs. Kirkland kept money inside her house.

According to testimony at trial, because of her condition, it took Mrs. Kirkland several trips to carry her groceries inside, and it became dark before she got all her groceries into her house. Because Mrs. Kirkland did not like to be outside after dark, she left the remaining groceries in her car for the night.

Some time later, Antonio Jones went to Mrs. Kirkland's house, turned off the circuit breakers outside, and went inside. From the evidence, the police were unable to determine whether Jones broke into the house or whether Mrs. Kirkland opened the door to investigate the power failure, allowing Jones to enter unimpeded.

Upon gaining entry to the house, Jones beat and kicked Mrs. Kirkland as she attempted to defend herself. Jones broke Mrs. Kirkland's wrists as she attempted to ward off his blows. In addition to using his hands and feet to assault Mrs. Kirkland, Jones also used one of Mrs. Kirkland's walking canes and a broken chair leg to savagely beat Mrs. Kirkland. Splatters of Mrs. Kirkland's blood were found in various locations and pieces of her broken cane were found in several different rooms.

At some point, Jones dumped the contents of Mrs. Kirkland's purse on the floor. Mrs. Kirkland kept the keys to her car in her purse. He also searched the house for the money Mrs. Kirkland reportedly kept in her house, ransacking the house, leaving open several drawers and cabinets. Mrs. Kirkland's body was found near the armoire where she kept her money. Jones took Mrs. Kirkland's car keys-and possibly other undetermined items-and left Mrs. Kirkland's house driving her white Cadillac.

That same evening, Linda Parrish, Mrs. Kirkland's daughter, became concerned when she was unable to contact her mother by telephone. Mrs. Parrish asked her son, Brent Parrish-a Dothan police officer-to go by Mrs. Kirkland's house and check on her. Officer Parrish arrived at his grandmother's house shortly before 8:00 p.m. He noticed that no lights were on inside the house and that Mrs. Kirkland's white Cadillac was missing. As he approached the house, Officer Parrish discovered that the back door was open. Officer Parrish notified the police and waited for help to arrive. When the other officers arrived, the police entered Mrs. Kirkland's house and discovered her body lying on the floor.

Concluding that Mrs. Kirkland's assailant had taken her automobile, the police began searching for the white Cadillac. Around 9:00 p.m., an officer spotted a white Cadillac matching the description of Mrs. Kirkland's. The officer activated his emergency lights, signaling the driver to stop; however, the driver failed to stop. The officer requested assistance, and several other patrol cars responded. Eventually, the police were able to stop the car near a K-Mart discount department store on the north side of Dothan. Inside the car were Jones; his sister, Lakeisha Jones; Lakeisha's baby; and Lakeisha's boyfriend. Jones, whose clothes and shoes were bloodstained, was taken into custody. During a search of the car, police discovered a number of items, including Mrs. Kirkland's remaining groceries, two of Mrs. Kirkland's walking canes, and a torn and empty envelope from SouthTrust Bank apparently given to Mrs. Kirkland when she made a withdrawal. Neither Lakeisha nor her boyfriend knew anything about Mrs. Kirkland's murder. Lakeisha did, however, tell the police that Jones was acting strangely when he picked them up earlier that evening.

Jones was transported to the Dothan Police Department. At some point, Jones voluntarily stated that he knew where to find bloody clothes related to Mrs. Kirkland's murder. Officer Jon Beeson then informed Jones of his constitutional rights in accordance with Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). Jones declined to sign a waiver-of-rights form, but he did agree to accompany police officers to a bridge on Honeysuckle Road where, he claimed, the true killers of Mrs. Kirkland had disposed of their bloody clothing. Before taking Jones to the bridge, officers had him remove the clothes and shoes he was wearing when he was taken into custody. Jones agreed, and he changed clothes. The clothing he had been wearing was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for testing.

Thereafter, the police took Jones to the bridge on Honeysuckle Road, where they unsuccessfully searched for the reported bloody clothing. The officers also searched for footprints in the area and found none. After daylight, the officers returned to the site but again found no evidence that would support Jones's claims.

Back at the police station, Jones asked to speak to Officer Beeson again. Before talking with Jones, Beeson informed Jones of his Miranda rights a second time. At 2:55 a.m. on January 1, 2000, Jones signed a waiver-of-rights form, acknowledging that he understood his rights and that he had not been threatened or promised anything in exchange for his statement. Jones told Beeson that three other men had killed Mrs. Kirkland. Jones denied any involvement in Mrs. Kirkland's killing; he claimed that he was not present when Mrs. Kirkland was killed and that the blood on his clothes came from being around the three killers. Additionally, Jones claimed that the white Cadillac he was driving belonged to his grandfather.

Around 5:30 a.m., Jones asked to speak with Officer Beeson again, stating that he wanted to tell Beeson the “whole story.” Sgt. Jim Stanley told Jones that Beeson was unavailable, and Jones indicated that he wished to tell Stanley “the rest of the story.” Sgt. Stanley took Jones into his office, where they were joined by Officer Donovan Kilpatrick. Before allowing Jones to give his statement, Sgt. Stanley asked Jones if he remembered his Miranda rights. Jones indicated that he did. Jones proceeded to give the officers additional information regarding Mrs. Kirkland's murder. As Jones related his version of events, Sgt. Stanley made notes of what Jones told them. During Jones's second statement, he admitted being present at Mrs. Kirkland's house during the murder. Jones claimed, however, that the other three men had entered the house with the intent to commit a robbery. He claimed that when he entered Mrs. Kirkland's house, one of the three men was beating her with a walking cane. According to Jones, he took the cane away from Mrs. Kirkland's assailant and telephoned 911 for emergency assistance in an attempt to save Mrs. Kirkland. Jones also claimed that the other three men took Mrs. Kirkland's car. He claimed that after he telephoned for assistance and turned the circuit breakers back on, he became scared and fled the scene on foot. Only later, Jones claimed, did he meet up with the other three who at that time were driving Mrs. Kirkland's car. When the officers attempted to verify Jones's claims, they discovered that the three men Jones claimed had killed Mrs. Kirkland all had alibis. Likewise, no 911 emergency calls had been received from Mrs. Kirkland's home that night.

On January 2, 2000, Dr. Alfredo Paredes, a forensic pathologist with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, conducted a postmortem examination on Mrs. Kirkland's body. Dr. Paredes determined that the cause of Mrs. Kirkland's death was blunt-force trauma incurred during the attack. Based on his examination, Dr. Paredes concluded that Mrs. Kirkland's assailant had used his hands and/or fists, and that he had also beaten her with a walking cane and a broken chair leg. Additionally, the assailant kicked Mrs. Kirkland and “stomped” on her breasts. The blows caused over 100 separate injuries to Mrs. Kirkland's body, including severe bleeding, multiple blows to her head and face, and multiple fractures to her ribs, sternum, and arms.

The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences also conducted DNA testing on the clothing Jones was wearing when he was taken into custody. DNA testing positively matched Mrs. Kirkland's DNA to the blood found on Jones's clothing.

At trial, Jones offered two witnesses-Malik Ali Hasan and Palmer Cox-in an effort to prove either that he was not at Mrs. Kirkland's house on the night of the incident or that someone else had committed the murder. At the time of their testimony, both witnesses were incarcerated for offenses unrelated to this case.

After both sides had rested and the trial court instructed the jury on the applicable law, the jury returned a verdict finding Jones guilty of capital murder as charged in the indictment.

During the penalty phase of Jones's trial, the State resubmitted all of the evidence it had introduced during the guilt phase. The State did, however, recall Dr. Alfredo Paredes to testify briefly concerning the extent of Mrs. Kirkland's injuries and whether she was conscious during her attack. Dr. Paredes testified that based on the massive bleeding and the numerous defensive injuries, he believed that Mrs. Kirkland was conscious during much of the attack.

Jones offered the testimony of several witnesses during the penalty phase. Jill Witsett, Jones's mother, testified that Jones was raised in a single-parent home and that he had no relationship with his father. She testified that the family did not have a lot of money and, on occasion, received welfare and food stamps. Witsett testified that as a child Jones was diagnosed with hyperactivity; numerous medications were prescribed to treat his condition. According to Witsett, when Jones took his medication, he was much calmer. Jones's aunt, Marilyn Walker, and his sister, Lakeisha Jones, also testified. Both women testified concerning the difficult circumstances of Jones's youth.

Edwina Culp, a GED instructor at the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center in Dothan, testified that Jones had attended GED classes at the Saliba Center. She testified that while attending classes, Jones's progress fluctuated. She testified that an individual's home environment could cause fluctuations in a student's progress. According to Ms. Culp, Jones “was not a troublemaker” in class; “he cooperated with me when I would ask him to do something to the best of his ability.”

Finally, Jones offered the testimony of Dr. Robert deFrancisco, a clinical forensic psychologist. Dr. deFrancisco testified that he had met with Jones on several occasions after the incident in order to evaluate his mental condition. Dr. deFrancisco determined that Jones's IQ was 81, which was “below average.” Dr. deFrancisco described Jones as a “gap child,” meaning “someone who doesn't fit into the school system ․ he's too smart to be in special ed, but he's too slow to be in a regular class.”  (R. 1432.) Dr. deFrancisco testified that as a gap child falls behind his chronological peers, “the individual becomes more and more frustrated, and ․ tend[s] to have a lot of behavior problems.” According to Dr. deFrancisco: “Under the right guidance and instruction, [Jones] can be a productive person. He is not stupid. He is not mentally retarded. And he is not crazy. He's totally misguided. And he has suffered from a horrible, horrible childhood. And I'm not justifying anything he's done. I'm explaining to you the fact that behavior does not occur in a vacuum. You just can't look at an act. You have to understand the individual.”

After both sides had rested and the trial court instructed the jury on the law applicable to the penalty phase, the jury returned an advisory verdict recommending that Jones be sentenced to death.

Criminal Details

WTVY.COM
Apr. 30, 2005

A Dothan teenager, who was sentenced to die for murder, has been ordered to spend his life in prison instead.

James Willis Bonds was just 16 when Norman Manning was shot to death in September of 1999. The 57-year-old businessman was killed during a robbery at his office near downtown Dothan. Judge Ed Jackson followed a jury's recommendation and sentenced Bonds to die.

But last month, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5 to 4 vote, held that convicted killers could not be put to death if they were under the age of 18 when the crime was committed.

On Friday, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Judge Jackson to sentence bonds to life without parole. The judge has 28 days to carry out that order.

Criminal Details

The Dothan Eagle
Greg Phillips - Mar 14, 2009

In life, Bruce Maloy stayed out of the spotlight. In death, he became a hero.

Maloy was believed to be the last of Michael McLendon's random victims, shot as he headed home after a day of work at Brooks Peanut Company in Samson.

But police now know Maloy was killed after the 51-year-old Samson resident made a desperate attempt to stop McLendon Tuesday afternoon before the gunman opened fire on the unarmed Maloy, leaving him dead on Alabama Highway 52.

And according to investigators and eyewitnesses, Maloy’s actions saved lives.

“He’s the entire reason I’m alive right now,” said Ashley Knowles, 22.

Knowles was heading to Samson from Hartford when she saw Maloy’s pickup truck heading toward her, racing alongside McLendon’s car.

She screamed as she saw Maloy ramming McLendon’s car, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision.

It wasn’t until later that she realized Maloy was saving her from an even worse fate.

“It looked like he was trying to push (McLendon) off the side of the road. When he saw me coming, he moved back over, because he didn't anybody else to get hurt,” Knowles said. “Right there at my driver door, I had my window down, and I heard it when he crashed right into (McLendon’s) Eclipse. I saw the Eclipse go off the road, and then I just saw dust. I knew he was shooting. If it hadn't been for Mr. Maloy, he could've shot me dead.”

Investigators say Maloy may have witnessed McLendon shoot two people at the Inland Big/Little Store, and he was moved to respond.

Gary Wigginton was downtown at Samson Seed and Feed when he heard a hail of gunfire. Moments later, he saw McLendon's Mitsubishi Eclipse at a traffic light facing east on Highway 52. Maloy was in his 1985 Isuzu Pup heading west. Wigginton said Maloy turned around and began to pursue McLendon before

Wigginton lost sight.

Greg Bowden knew Maloy for 25 years, and he was buying supplies from a downtown parts store that afternoon when Maloy’s pursuit of McLendon began.

“Undoubtedly he saw something that happened, knew that was the guy and took off after him,” Bowden said. “I saw a red car go by, and Bruce was right behind chasing him.”

Witnesses estimate the speed of the chase at 70 mph through the town.

Craig Harrison was standing by the roadside with a customer at his store when he saw his former employee, Maloy, drive by at an uncharacteristically high speed.

“Me and a customer were going outside, and we heard shots,” Harrison said. “There came the shooter’s car, and Bruce's truck was not two car lengths behind him. When they passed, I told the customer something had happened, because that boy never drove fast. He took his time. You could tell Bruce was pursuing him.”

Just a few moments later, Harrison heard two more shots, then saw the chase continue across the nearby railroad tracks.

Soon after Knowles encountered the two men in the midst of their chase, Maloy’s attempt at stopping McLendon came to an end.

Based on evidence collected at the crime scene, Alabama Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Tim Rodgers said it appears McLendon was able to pull ahead of Maloy, stop, exit the car and wait on Maloy. Skid marks indicate Maloy locked his breaks, then slammed into the back of McLendon's car. McLendon fired at least four rounds into the vehicle, then continued toward Geneva.

By the time he reached Geneva, however, police had set up a roadblock, and other nearby agencies were en route.

“What Mr. Maloy did was slow the shooter down enough that law enforcement could get to him before he even got to Geneva, so he had to worry more about police than more civilians,” said Corporal Darrell Smith of the Samson Police Department. “He ran him down on his pickup truck and was enagaging him with his truck, trying to cause the guy to wreck. Unfortunately, it ultimately cost him his life.”

Maloy’s actions may have saved lives in Samson as well.

“If (McLendon) took time to stop at the Big/Little and get out and shoot some people, it's my belief that if Bruce hadn't been chasing him, he'd have taken more time at that sidewalk by the True Value Hardware and more people would have been killed,” Bowden said. “He could've shot people down here or he could've turned off on a side road and killed more folks. I believe Bruce saved a lot of lives.”

Harrison says he wouldn’t be alive today without Maloy’s heroism.

“In my view and the customer who was out there with me, it sure looks like Bruce in pursuing the shooter may have kept him from shooting in our direction,” Harrison said. “There's no telling, between here and the Mexican restaurant and the Subway and Dollar General, what he would have done if he hadn't been preoccupied by a vehicle following him. I wonder if we would've been two more of the victims if Bruce hadn't been pursuing him. That's constantly been a thought running through my mind.”

Those who knew him say Maloy kept mostly to himself, though he always tried to make people laugh.

“He always wanted to be liked. He was a real comedian-type guy,” Harrison said. “He was a good worker and an excellent welder. In school, he was always bullied. Everybody picked on him and made fun of him. That's what makes me admire more about what he was trying to do, because if anybody had a reason not to care, it was probably him.”

According to his friends, Maloy was always willing to lend a helping hand.

“He was an all-around good guy. He'd do anything for anybody,” Bowden said. “He was just that kind of guy.”

Maloy's aunt, Reba Judson, said she was not surprised Maloy tried to stop McLendon.

"It makes me very proud of him. The loss still hurts, because that loss will always be there," Judson said. "But knowing he tried to do something makes your heart swell up inside."

The bystanders who witnessed Maloy’s courage Tuesday afternoon just wish he had survived to hear their gratitude.

“I would tell him thank you,” Knowles said. “I’m alive because of you.”

Maloy will be buried Wednesday at Shady Grove Assembly of God Church Cemetery.

Lance Griffin contributed to this article.

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
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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