Major Case Squad Cases
Click on the Major Case Squad Number to find out more about each case.
Victim: Kenneth M. Wood, 61
Date: 11/24/83
Defendants:
(1) Ray Lloyd Bibb, Jr., 23
(2) Curtis A. Cutts, 23
(3) Melissa A. Wagner, 17
Result:
Bibb pled guilty to capital murder and initially received the death penalty. His case was later remanded for trial on the penalty issue and he received a sentence of life with no parole for capital murder, plus 20 years for robbery and another life sentence for armed criminal action, all to run consecutively.
Cutts was found guilty at jury trial of first degree murder and armed criminal action. He received two consecutive life sentences.
Wagner pled guilty to first degree murder and received a life sentence.
Victim: Dale E. Breckheisen, 27
Date: 4/21/85
Defendant: Milo F. Mracek, 60
Result:
Mracek pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 10 years.
Victim: Dennis Wayne Sebastian, 33
Date: 5/12/86
Result: Sebastian was found lying across his bed at his home on Route 4 on a Saturday afternoon. The Major Case Squad was activated, but quickly determined that the death was from natural causes.
Victim: Rufus Petty
Date: 9/24/86
Result: The body of Rufus Petty was found floating in Little Apple Creek near the Perry County line. The Major Case Squad was activated but determined the death to be by accidental drowning.
Victim: Donna C. Younts, 28
Date: 5/14/87
Defendants:
(1) Gary D. Smith, 32
(2) Clarence A. Mason, 24
(3) John E. McCarter, 29
Result:
Gary D. Smith pled guilty to first degree murder and armed criminal action and received life sentences on each charge, to run consecutively.
Clarence A. Mason went to jury trial for the offenses of tampering with physical evidence, tampering with a witness and misdemeanor assault of a witness. He was acquitted of the tampering with physical evidence and tampering with a witness counts, but was found guilty of assault in the third degree and sentenced to 6 months in jail. As a result of the conviction, his felony parole in Illinois for aggravated battery was revoked and he was required to serve the remainder of a 4-year sentence.
John E. McCarter went to jury trial for the offense of tampering with physical evidence (supplying the lime to help bury the body) but was acquitted. His probation for forgery was revoked based upon his involvement in this matter and he was sentenced to 3 years for the probation violation.
Victim: Randy Lee Stephens, 27
Date: 2/24/90
Defendant: Marvin D. Goad, 40
Result: Goad pled guilty to first degree murder and received a sentence of life with no parole.
Victim: William W. Lowes, 47
Date: 10/18/90
Defendant: Bryan K. Crews, 18
Result: Crews was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life with no parole for first degree murder, plus five years for armed criminal action.
Victim: Inez McMillan
Date: 08/06/91
Result: The Major Case Squad was initially activated when the body was thought to have been found in Bollinger County, but was thereafter deactivated when it turned out that the body was actually in Stoddard County, which was outside the jurisdiction of the Major Case Squad.
Victim: Lee E. Moore, 66
Date: 8/12/91
Result: UNSOLVED
Victim: Danny L. Shepard, 20
Date: 6/11/92
Result: The felony assault of Shepard was unsolved, the victim claiming that he could not recall how he had been injured or who had done it.
Victims:
(1) Randy Scheper, 17
(2) Sherry Scheper, 47
(3) Curtis Scheper, 22
Date: 8/9/92
Defendants:
(1) Gary Lee Roll, 40
(2) David Wayne Rhodes, 18
(3) John Gregory Browne, 22
Result:
Gary Lee Roll pled guilty to all three murders. He received a death sentence on each murder count, plus a life sentence on each of the three armed criminal action counts, plus 20 years on a first degree robbery count, all to run consecutively.
David Wayne Rhodes pled guilty to three counts of second degree murder and one count of first degree robbery. He received a life sentence on each murder count, plus 20 years on the robbery count, with the three murder counts to run consecutively.
John Gregory Browne pled guilty to one count of second degree murder and received a sentence of life in prison.
Victims:
(1) Evelyn Sparks, 50
(2) Bridgett D. Harris, 23
(3) Dontay M. Harris, 10 months
Date: 9/21/92
Defendant: Andrew A. Lyons, 34
Result:
Lyons was found guilty by a jury and received sentences of death for the murders of Evelyn Sparks and Bridgett D. Harris, plus a sentence of 7 years for involuntary manslaughter for the death of Dontay M. Harris.
Victim: Cammeron Allyn Childs, 20
Date: 4/18/93
Defendant: Michael O. Smith, Jr., 21
Result:
Smith pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 15 years in prison, to run consecutively with charges in another case.
Victim: Shekelia Johnson, 15
Date: 08/10/93
Defendant: John Wes Selvy, 16
Result:
Defendant was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life in prison for second degree murder, plus 50 years for armed criminal action, to run consecutively.
Victim: Michael A. Davis, 25
Date: 02/15/94
Defendants:
(1) Laimmoire Taylor, 22
(2) Vincent L. King, 21
(3) Michael Q. Williams, 19
(4) Isaac Simms, III, 22
(5) Cedric B. Murphy, 22
(6) Mikel J. Giles, 22
(7) Carlos L. Turner, 19
Result: All seven defendants jointly involved in the reckless hazing death of fraternity pledge Michael Davis were charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor hazing counts in connection with the death. All were either found guilty at trial or pled guilty. An additional eight fraternity members not directly connected to the death either pled guilty or were found guilty of hazing.
Victim: Gretchen A. Starks, 29
Date: 3/30/94
Result:
The Major Case Squad determined the death of Gretchen A. Starks to be an accidental shooting.
Victim: James W. Brown, 50
Date: 8/25/94
Defendant: Kenneth Bundy, 35
Result:
Bundy pled guilty to first degree murder and received a sentence of life with no parole.
Victim: Bobby J. Miller, 3
Date: 11/02/94
Defendants:
(1) Kenneth Dewayne Johnson, 26
(2) Luville Michelle Beal, 24
Result:
Kenneth Dewayne Johnson pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 7 years. Luville Michelle Beal pled guilty to felony endangering the welfare of a child and received a sentence of 3 years.
Victim: Elvoy Roy Ross, 65
Date: 11/26/94
Defendant: Steven D. Dickson, 24
Result:
Defendant pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action and received 15 years for the manslaughter and 5 years for the armed criminal action.
Victim: Michael J. Otto, 21
Date: 12/30/94
Defendant: Andy D. Taylor, 21
Result:
Defendant found guilty by a jury of first degree assault and armed criminal action and sentenced to life in prison on each count.
Victim: Maurice Campbell, 23
Date: 05/18/95
Defendants:
(1) Matavis M. Curry, 23
(2) Deprece A. Harris, 23
(3) Thomas M. Ross, 21
(4) Charleton D. Bowen, 27
Result:
All four defendants pled guilty to second degree murder. Curry and Harris were sentenced to life in prison. Ross was sentenced to 21 years. Bowen was sentenced to 10 years.
Victim: Daniel W. Dunlap, 29
Date: 06/16/95
Defendant: Senikica Blackmon, 16
Result:
Blackmon pled guilty to second degree murder and received a sentence of life in prison.
Victim: Michael Temple, 36
Date: 9/1/95
Defendant: Steven J. Shelby, 38
Result:
Shelby was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life without parole for first degree murder.
Victim: Michael Sanders, 27
Date: 3/21/96
Defendant: Russell E. Bucklew, 27
Result:
Bucklew was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to death for first degree murder, plus life in prison for forcible rape, plus life in prison for kidnapping.
Victim: Julius Oats, 38
Date: 4/2/96
Defendant: James B. Bell, 36
Result:
Bell pled guilty to second degree murder and received a sentence of 30 years.
Victim: Daniel L. Farrow, 31
Date: 5/25/96
Defendant: Kenneth W. Stone, 35
Result:
Stone was found guilty by a jury and was sentenced to life without parole for first degree murder, plus life for armed criminal action.
Victim: Gary L. Sams, 38
Date: 8/15/96
Defendant: Robert K. Lizenbee, 31
Result:
Defendant was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life without parole for first degree murder and 15 years for armed criminal action.
Victim: Bobby Bainfield, 27
Date: 8/2/97
Defendants:
(1) Tyler J. Baine, 28
(2) Ivan Palmer, 46
(3) Janathan Betts, 17
(4) Terry Gerlach, 20
Result:
Baine was found guilty of conspiracy by a jury and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Palmer pled guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to 10 years. Betts pled guilty to conspiracy and first degree assault and received 8 years for the conspiracy and 5 years for the assault. Gerlach pled guilty to conspiracy and received a 15-year sentence, but it was suspended and he was placed on probation.
Victim: Carol J. Lindley, 56
Date: 05/08/00
Defendant: Joshua A. Wolf, 16
Result: Wolf was found guilty of first degree murder, armed criminal action and arson and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.