Nurse sends feces

An Oak Ridge nurse turned herself in May 10 at the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office to face various harassment, stalking and vandalism charges.

The case involving Della Marie Gibson Lathum, 37, has since been turned over to federal authorities, LCSO Chief Deputy Jimmy Davis said.

Lathum was charged with outstanding warrants for vandalism, five counts of harassment and two counts of stalking and released on $7,000 bond after spending 21 hours in jail. One of her stalking charges was later dismissed.

According to an LCSO report, the charges date back to March 29-April 19.

In a report written by Lenoir City Police Department Sgt. Lynette Ladd, Lathum “did commit a pattern of conduct composed of a series of two or more separate, noncontinuous acts” that caused a Lenoir City woman and her juvenile daughter “emotional distress.”

Lathum mailed the teen a card with derogatory remarks about the girl’s mother such as, “You suck at cheer,” “We don’t like you. No one likes you,” “You are poor white trash faking a fancy life” and “Your mom is broke and lazy (and) won’t pay her bills,” Ladd wrote in a report. The card was disguised as an invitation to a party.

Lathum told investigators the letter was sent to “annoy and offend” the girl.

Lathum also admitted to mailing the woman “dog feces, a sanitary napkin with human blood she obtained from one of her patients where she is employed at Park West Hospital, a letter with derogatory comments and a letter saying, ‘You don’t belong in our world’,” according to reports.

United States Postal inspectors identified Lathum as the sender of the biohazardous materials. Lathum said she would normally dispose of the blood from a blood draw but set it aside with intentions of mailing it to the woman.

Lathum also left a rock on the woman’s doorstep with a red letter “A” written on it and vandalized the woman’s car while parked outside Lenoir City High School by scratching the paint and causing more than $1,000 in damage.

The woman told investigators she received mail from Lathum on three separate occasions.

Lathum’s booking reports identify her as unemployed. She is scheduled to appear July 28 in Loudon County General Sessions Court.

Officers arrested a Ten Mile man Friday after a dangerous pursuit down U.S. Highway 444.

Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Craig Brewer responded to reports of a stolen truck being followed by LCSO Lt. Shane Ezell. Brewer attempted to stop the truck, but the Chevrolet truck took off down the highway and reached speeds of 90 miles per hour.

The truck, driven by William Eric Powell, 47, passed through traffic at Highway 444 and Toqua intersection and passed cars on the shoulder of the highway and in the wrong lane of traffic. Powell also ran several cars off the road or into the wrong lane, Brewer wrote in a report.

Powell turned onto U.S. Highway 72 toward Loudon where he reached speeds exceeding 100 mph. At Loudon city limits, Loudon police officers deployed a spike strip that caused Powell to wreck into another car and come to a stop.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Brandon Lindley conducted field sobriety tests, and Powell performed poorly. He admitted to using methamphetamine and marijuana in the last two days. Lindley determined Powell was under the influence of drugs.

Powell was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of vehicular assault, theft of property, evading arrest and driving under the influence and held without bond.

Man asleep in wrecked carA Farragut man was arrested June 29 after being found in a ditch.

LCSO Deputy Christian Rogers was dispatched to a wreck with an injury at Ford and Town Creek roads. Rogers and LCSO Deputy Brandon Dishner found a truck with the front end stuck in a ditch while still running. Deputies found Austin Michael Cullen, 23, asleep at the wheel and he smelled strongly of alcohol.

According to a report by Rogers, Cullen awoke and told deputies he drank six beers and smoked marijuana in Loudon before heading home at 12:15 a.m. Based on Cullen’s timeline, he had been in the ditch four hours.

Cullen failed all field sobriety tests. A search of his truck yielded 3 grams of marijuana, a smoking apparatus and numerous empty beer cans. Cullen refused a blood draw but consented to a breath test. At the Loudon County jail, Cullen’s BAC was confirmed at 0.126.

Cullen was charged with simple possession/casual exchange, driving under the influence and open container and released on $1,500 bond.
June 28

• Michael Allen Baker, 45, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of probation and two counts of capias-criminal court and held on $10,000 bond.

• Kelsy Leann Cook, 24, Loudon, was charged with capias-municipal court and released on $2,000 bond.

• Tiffany Michelle Gamble, 40, Lenoir City, was charged with contraband in a penal institution, manufacture, sale, delivery, resale of a Schedule II substance, violation of probation, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and held on $22,000 bond.

• Chad Edward Hartwig, 42, Lenoir City, was charged with public intoxication and held without bond.

• Whitney Ayla Lorig, 21, Maryville, was charged with violation of probation and held without bond.

• Jesse Adam Mcafee, 32, Clinton, was charged with violation of probation and held on $4,000 bond.

• Christopher Neil Parsons, 49, Loudon, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $2,000 bond.

• Carl Robert Price, 74, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and released on $1,500 bond.

• Bruce Alan Williams, 61, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and failure to yield right-of-way and released on $2,500 bond.

June 29

• Michael Joseph Howard, 49, Lenoir City, was charged with capias-general sessions and held without bond.

• Tony Ray Marsh Jr., 53, Leavenworth, Ind., was charged with public intoxication and released without bond.

• Kenneth Dewayne Spears, 54, Harriman, was charged with capias-municipal court and held without bond.

• Jack Berten Springfield, 31, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and financial responsibility law and held on $3,000 bond.

• Melody Leann Wiggins, 42, Loudon, was charged with violation of probation and three counts of capias-general sessions and held on $26,000 bond.

June 30

• Aaron Scot Bolt, 46, Loudon, was charged with manufacture, sale, delivery, resale of a Schedule IV substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, manufacture, delivery, sale or possession of meth and violation of probation and released on $47,500 bond.

• Terry Lynn Collis, 52, Loudon, was charged with manufacture, sale, delivery, resale of a Schedule III substance, manufacture, sale, delivery, resale of a Schedule IV substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and manufacture, delivery, sale or possession of meth and held without bond.

• Nathaniel Wayne Crass, 36, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of probation and released on $2,000 bond.

• Donald Bryant Day, 30, Philadelphia, was charged with contempt of court and released on $250 bond.

• Christina Lee Devaney, 33, Lenoir City, was charged with violation of probation and released on $2,000 bond.

• Holly Michelle Wilkins, 37, Kingston, was charged with capias-municipal court and released on $4,000 bond.

July 1

• Carl Shannon Atchley Jr., 55, Lenoir City, was charged with capias-municipal court and released on $230 bond.

• Jeremy Paul Bogle, 30, Lenoir City, was charged with theft of property and held on $5,000 bond.

• Leatha Ann Cardin, 55, Lenoir City, was charged with capias-municipal court and released on $2,000 bond.

• Michael Willis Crabtree, 45, Loudon, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and capias-municipal court and released on $1,200 bond.

• Anna Nicole Graham, 24, Walland, was charged with failure to appear and released on $10,000 bond.

• Lacy Rae Green, 31, Loudon, was charged with child abuse or neglect/endangerment and held without bond.

• Shauna Deann Henry, 29, Friendsville, was charged with manufacture, sale, possession of a controlled substance and held on $4,000 bond.

• Rachel Koster, 40, Knoxville, was charged with a juvenile court attachment and criminal impersonation and held on $100 bond.

• Max Anthony Marcano, 26, Westminster, Calif., was charged with manufacture, sale, delivery, resale of a Schedule II substance and held without bond.

• Felton Dwight Marchman, 38, Kingston, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $4,000 bond.

• Ashley Christina McKee, 35, Lenoir City, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of probation and three counts of capias-criminal court and held on $1,000 bond.

• Jessica Pauline Mele, 25, Westminster, Calif., was charged with manufacture, sale, delivery, resale of a Schedule III substance and held without bond.

• Amber Jenne Oakes, 32, Knoxville, was charged with two counts of violation of probation and held on $2,000 bond.

• Erik Elijah Ogle, 21, Lenoir City, was charged with aggravated assault and held without bond.

• Ashley Marie Rawls, 30, Loudon, was charged with theft of property and released on $5,000 bond.

• Gary Scott Rawls, 30, Loudon, was charged with theft of property and released on $5,000 bond.

• Charlotte Lee Russell, 41, Maryville, was charged with capias-general sessions and released on $1,000 bond.

• Caleb Creed Shipe, 19, Strawberry Plains, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, written report of accident, financial responsibility law and driving on a revoked/suspended license and held without bond.

• William Wade Sloan, 45, Philadelphia, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $32,000 bond.

• Nicole Lea Swalley, 38, Greenback, was charged with manufacture, sell, possession of a controlled substance and held on $5,000 bond.

• Donita Rena Ward, 46, Lenoir City, was charged with simple possession/casual exchange, possession of drug paraphernalia and manufacture, delivery, sale or possession of meth and released on $17,000 bond.

July 2

• Curtis David Cosner, 33, Sweetwater, was charged with driving without a valid license and driving on a revoked/suspended license and released on $2,000 bond.

• Zephram James Day, 23, Kingston, was charged with capias-municipal court and released on $400 bond.

• Clare Marie Ferguson, 38, Loudon, was charged with failure to appear and simple possession/casual exchange and held on $4,000 bond.

• Joshua Henry Fraser, 19, Queens, N.Y., was charged with two counts of theft of property and organized retail crime prevention act and held without bond.

• Christopher Eugene Hicks, 50, Lenoir City, was charged with tampering/fabricating with evidence and held without bond.

• Michael Jay Higgenbottom, 56, homeless, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,000 bond.

• Christine Faye Quinn, 50, Jacksonville, Fla., was charged with public intoxication and held on $1,000 bond.

• Julio Morales Zamudio, 31, Lenoir City, was charged with theft of property, aggravated burglary and vandalism and released on $6,000 bond.

July 3

• Demetrius Reginald Hawkins, 34, Lenoir City, was charged with domestic assault-misdemeanor and released on $1,000 bond.

• Benjamin C. Helton IV, 27, Madisonville, was charged with violation of probation and held on $3,000 bond.

• Tommy Gene Mayton, 49, Harriman, was charged with public intoxication and released on $283 bond.

• Travis Dale Scates, 28, Knoxville, was charged with failure to appear and held without bond.

July 4

• Edward James Benney, 42, Decatur, was charged with capias-criminal court and held on $1,000 bond.

• Benjamin Keith Franklin, 46, Spring City, was charged with burglary, vandalism and public intoxication and held on $14,000 bond.

• Rustin Lynn Key, 36, Lenoir City, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $20,000 bond.

• Robert E. Perkins, 54, Loudon, was charged with violation of probation, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with death/injury, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, duty to render aid and give information, financial responsibility law, driving on a revoked/suspended license and failure to keep right and held on $4,000 bond.

• Michael James Stefaniak, 58, Wartburg, was charged with public intoxication and released without bond.

• Brittany Cheyanne Strickland, 25, Madisonville, was charged with simple possession/casual exchange, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked/suspended license and held without bond.

• Jason Wayne Taylor, 41, Madisonville, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and held without bond.

• Doreen L. Wright, 53, Wartburg, was charged with driving under the influence and violation of implied consent and released on $3,000 bond.