Local man indicted for attempted murder

Staff Reports

A Lenoir City man was indicted Aug. 14 by a Loudon County grand jury for attempted first-degree murder.

The grand jury heard the case after Lee Randall Jackson, 48, was charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault Nov. 20, 2018.

Patrol officers responded to a residence in Lenoir City at 3:17 a.m. regarding an assault. Officers determined Jackson had forced his way into a Kingston Street residence and struck the victim, a 49-year-old female acquaintance, in the head with a baseball bat, according to a release from Lenoir City Police Department.

“Jackson subsequently used the bat to assault the victim several times,” the release said. “He threatened to take the life of the victim who was able to flee the house through the back door and run to a neighbor’s house for help.”

The victim sustained a broken leg.

Jackson was charged by LCPD and booked in the Loudon County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated burglary.

He was released “on his own recognizance in lieu of a $15,000 bond” on Nov. 22, 2018. Jackson was granted a motion to dismiss the case earlier this year.

The case was then presented to the grand jury and received a true bill of indictment for attempted first-degree murder.

“The initial charge of aggravated assault and aggravated burglary, those charges were based on the facts of that event, and that was what Inv. (Brad) Brown decided to charge Mr. Jackson with,” LCPD Chief Don White said. “When the facts of the case were presented this year to the grand jury, it was the grand jury’s decision to upgrade from aggravated assault to attempted first-degree murder based on the facts, so it was the decision of the grand jury.”

Jackson is being held at Loudon County Jail on $75,000 bond.

Drugs found in Lenoir City residence

A large haul of drugs were found in a Lenoir City residence’s walls and appliances after agents searched the property.

Loudon County Sheriff’s Office agent Cody Fritts and the 9th Judicial District Drug Task Force executed a search warrant Aug. 27 at the residence of Jimmy Wayne Coffman, 56.

According to Fritts’ report, agents found a plastic baggy filled with 113 green pills that were later found to be oxycodone, a Schedule I substance, inside the property’s beverage machine. A bag of crystal methamphetamine was found on the floor near the beverage machine. Two bags of methamphetamine were found hidden in the wall. The total amount of methamphetamine found was 7.95 grams. A green baggy was also found in the wall, containing 1.1 grams of heroin/fentanyl.

In a blender under Coffman’s desk, Fritts and other agents found approximately 1.69 grams of powder identified as gabapentin. A pill bottle filled with oxycodone pills not prescribed to Coffman was found in a microwave. Another pill bottle contained 14 oxymorphone pills, four sublingual pills, three alprazolam pills, 11.5 sublingual pills and half of a suboxone pill. Fritts noted “Coffman did not produce valid scripts” for the pills.

Multiple items of drug paraphernalia were also found, including syringes, baggies, scales, a pipe and drug ledger. The search warrant was executed in a protected school zone.

Coffman was charged with four counts of manufacture, delivery, sale or possession of a Schedule II substance, two counts of manufacture, delivery or resale of a Schedule I substance, three counts of manufacture, delivery or resale of a Schedule III substance, manufacture, sale or possession of a controlled substance, manufacture, sell, delivery or resale of a Schedule IV substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and released on $133,500 bond.

Aug. 26

• Jeremiah Jason Abbott, 38, Maryville, was charged with failure to appear and two counts of criminal court capias and held on $100,000 bond.

• Franklin Delano Nix, 74, Lenoir City, was charged with theft of property $1,000-$2,500 and released on $10,000 bond.

• Jackie Dakota Watkins, 24, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of probation and released on $2,000 bond.

• Ryan James Wellner, 41, Lenoir City, was charged with two counts of sexual battery and released on $30,000 bond. On Aug. 8, a woman came to the Loudon County Justice Center to file a report of a sexual battery against Wellner. She said Wellner placed an order for an Uber ride from his residence at Timberline Drive to a business on Watt Road and U.S. Highway 70 to get beer and cigarettes. Upon returning to the vehicle, Wellner told the woman he wanted to ride around because “he didn’t want to go home yet,” according to LCSO Inv. Sgt. Chris Bowen’s report. The woman said she began to take him home. “Upon arrival to the residence, he then started to try and grab her hand and her arm,” Bowen said. The woman told Wellner he could not touch her. Wellner then opened a beer and drank it. The woman stated she told Wellner she needed to return to work, but he would not exit the vehicle. Wellner took an earbud from the woman’s ear and asked her what she was listening to. Wellner would not give the earbud back. “He then offered her $100 to go inside with him for 20 minutes,” Bowen wrote. The woman declined, and Wellner asked, “Isn’t that what you do for money?” Wellner grabbed the victim’s right breast, and the woman slapped Wellner and told him not to touch her. Wellner leaned in to kiss her, and the woman told him not to kiss her. Wellner then exited the vehicle, “told her she was mean” and entered his residence.

• Barry R. Zakrison, 54, Lenoir City, was charged with aggravated assault and especially aggravated kidnapping and held on $20,000 bond. Lenoir City Police Officer Aaron Bialek was dispatched to Bon Street in response to a domestic disturbance. Bialek talked with Zakrison, who said he and a woman were arguing over money issues and were “just being loud.” He also said the woman left the residence after the argument. While Bialek was speaking with Zakrison, the woman returned to the residence and said Zakrison had threatened her with a machete-style knife. She explained that Zakrison “fashioned the big knife toward her and said he was going to cut her head off, chop her body up and dispose the body up in Michigan if she left their bedroom,” according to Bialek’s report. A 12-inch long blade with a wooden handle in a leather sheath was recovered from the living room. Zakrison confirmed the knife described was the one he used.

Aug. 27

• Cody Allen Cothran, 26, Philadelphia, was charged with a general session capias and driving on a revoked/suspended license and released on $3,000 bond.

• Elizabeth Lorrian Etheridge, 35, Rockwood, was charged with manufacture, delivery or resale of a Schedule II substance and assisting another agency and held on $30,000 bond.

• Savannah Marie Ibbs, 27, Sweetwater, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and held on $2,000 bond.

• Danny Wayne Mills, 53, Lenoir City, was charged with general sessions capias, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession/casual exchange, manufacture, delivery, sale or possession of a Schedule II substance and held on $35,380 bond.

• Abby Lauren Ramsey, 30, Lenoir City, was charged with theft of property and released without bond.

Aug. 28

• Dennis Samuel Smith, 33, Lenoir City, was charged with theft of property and released on $5,000 bond.

Aug. 29

• Audriana Jean Davis, 27, Loudon, was charged with public intoxication and held without bond.

• Maryann Elizabeth Page, 42, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and held without bond.

• Kaitlin Lee Smith, 30, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and held without bond.

Aug. 30

• Travis Jordan Riley, 30, Inglewood, was charged with driving under the influence and released on $4,000 bond.

• Edward Gene Benney, 40, Sweetwater, was charged with theft of property and released on $2,000 bond.

• Susan Kay Cambron, 58, Loudon, was charged with criminal trespass and held on $1,000 bond.

• Fernando Lara Gonzalez, 41, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and released without bond.

• Datavieus Markeese Parks, 25, Lenoir City, was charged with theft under $1,000 and held on $1,000 bond.

• Emily Faith Robinson, 18, Lenoir City, was charged with theft under $1,000 and held on $1,000 bond.

• Robert James Rushing, 48, Lenoir City, was charged with failure to appear and criminal court capias and released on $17,000 bond.

Aug. 31

• Alexandria Katherin Arnold, 26, Maryville, was charged with a general sessions capias and released on $2,000 bond.

• Tommy Lee Cothran, 47, Knoxville, was charged with failure to appear and held on $50,000 bond.

• James Abdallah El-Ajam, 26, Lenoir City, was charged with possession of legend drugs and driving under the influence and held on $2,000 bond.

• Michael Ray Nolan, 51, Knoxville, was charged with aggravated assault and assault and released on $17,000 bond.

• Joseph Daniel Thaxton, 18, Loudon, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,000 bond.

Sept. 1

• Bryan Ramirez Aguilera, 24, Loudon, was charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, violation of order or protection/restraint and domestic assault-misdemeanor and held on $8,000 bond.

• Amanda Hope Brown, 31, Knoxville, was charged with simple possession of methamphetamine and held without bond.

• Susan Baylis Gibbons, 57, Lenoir City, was charged with theft under $1,000 and held on $3,000 bond.

• Anthony Jewel Hammond II, 27, Trinity, N.C., was charged with driving under the influence, driving on a revoked/suspended license and leaving the scene of accident property damage and released on $8,000 bond.

Sept. 2

• Johnathan Dale Bailey, 33, Morristown, was charged with manufacture, sell, delivery and resale of a Schedule II substance and held on $15,000 bond.

• Jose Tiznado Barrientos, 22, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence and failure to yield and released on $1,000 bond.

• Robert Matthew Jones, 30, Madisonville, was charged with aggravated assault and released on $5,000 bond.