WCBI NEWS AT 6 - 11/18/2020

WCBI NEWS AT 6 - 11/18/2020

Last look stinger show open good evening everyone... after 30 long years... a starkville cold case is finally solved and the killer is headed to prison for the rest of his life.

Micheal devaughn pleaded guilty tuesday afternoon to killing betty jones of starkville.

As part of the plea deal, the second charge of sexual battery to kathryn crigler was dropped.

The case was closed with the help of dna evidence.... but that wouldn't have been possible without the foresight of some of starkville's finest.

Our cash matlock has more on how the evidence was preserved for so long.

Solving a murder case has never been easy.

And thirty years ago, before dna testing was widely used, it was even more of a challenge.

"at the time, in the early 90's i don't believe we had as sophisticated dna testing as we have today, either."

Bud maxey was the chief of police in starkville at the time of betty jone's murder.

He worked hand-in- hand with former lead investigator david lindley and former oktibbeha county sheriff dolph bryan.

"it was the culmination of a lot of years and wondering what was going to happen with this case, and i was very glad to see this time come up today and for this to be settled and solved once and for all."

Since then, bill lott has taken over the investigation.

He says, it would be an impossible case to solve, had it not been for maxey, lindley, and bryan.

All three believed in the science.

"but he told her back then, never give up.

Because the science wasn't there yet.

I mean in 1990, dna was not even online.

It was '95 before seven states go online, but he told her, never give up.

She listened to him, and she went through five chiefs, and numerous detectives, based off of what bud maxey told her, and he told her right."

And he áwasá right... the preserved dna was crucial evidence for the case.

"we managed to preserve our evidence and all that and keep at it."

As time passed, though, investigators weren't sure if the case would be solved in their lifetime.

"this was on my bucketlist.

I'd like to see this case get solved, and somebody have to answer for what they did, and he answered for it today."

Time was also on mind's of the victims families.

"we listened very closely to what the victims wanted.

A lot of them were older and they wanted to try to get it resolved quickly and they wanted justice after waiting 30 years, so we really tried to push it as fast as we could."

The case has been through multiple departments, several chiefs, and a few different investigators... but all of those involved agree on one thing... "it could not have been solved without dna."

Reporting in columbus, cash matlock, wcbi news.

An early morning crash kills a west alabama man.

The accident happened about 2:15 am on highway 17, near county road 35.

That's about a mile north of sulligent.

Alabama state troopers say 22- year-old jordan chance jones pope of phil campbell died at the scene.

Pope's truck collided with a tractor-trailer.

The driver of the big rig was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

No other information is being released about the ongoing investigation.

Top tupelo police are asking for your help to find a man that hasn't been seen in about two weeks.

31-year-old david javonte johnson is from the belden area.

However, he was last seen walking down i-22.

Johnson is about six foot - two inches tall and weighs 190 pounds.

Family members tell investigators that johnson usually wears a hat and keeps his ponytail under the hat.

He also wears a red bandana around his neck.

If you have any information call crime stoppers.

One of the first people to announce a run for the tupelo mayoral seat is out before qualifying begins.

Tupelo chief operations officer don lewis announced his intention to run announced his intention to run for mayor back in august.

Today, he tells wcbi his candidacy is over.

Lewis was planning to run on the republican ticket qualifying begins in january and the election will take place this june.

First look stinger first look summary: sunny and quiet conditions are set to hold for at least the next 3 days with the next chance of rain late sunday into monday.

Another system on tuesday and tuesday night could bring us a better chance of rain and storms. we'll need keep an eye on that one for the chance of strong storm activity.

It's still too early to tell if anything will come of it but the setup bears watching.

Wednesday night: clear and quiet.

Not as chilly.

Lows in the mid to upper 30s.

Light se winds.

Thursday: sunny.

Highs in the mid to upper 60s.

Winds sse 10-15 mph with gusts to 20 mph.

Fire conditions will be elevated so it's best not to do any open burning due to the gusty breezes and low humidity.

Intro nearly 30 million americans have diabetes and mississippi ranks first in the nation for diabetes prevalence.

To combat those numbers baptist golden triangle hosted a free drive-thru diabetes screening.

Wcbi's bobby martinez was there and shares more about the importance screenings... and symptoms you should look for.... pkg stand up according to baptist memorial healthcare.

More than 15 percent of the adult population here in mississippi have diabetes.

Where thousands don't even know they even have the disease.

And here at baptist memorial hospital golden triangle.

They want to bring awareness on severity of this disease.

It's a healthcare crisis here in the state..... sot - lacy smith - clinical dietician - baptist memorial hospital golden triangle "mississippi is leading in the country in the incidents of diabetes.."

Natvo..

"ms. brown your blood sugar this morning is 87.... that is normal...."

According to baptist memorial healthcare.

More than 800,000 mississippians have prediabetes or blood glucose levels higher than normal..

But not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Clinical dietician lacy smith call is alarming.

Sot - lacy smith - clinical dietician - baptist memorial hospital golden triangle "we do see a big percentage of people that blood sugars just kind of creeping up.

They don't really have an alarm that goes off that tells them.

You know there are signs that you can look for but not all the time, it's not something you know really unless you get that blood test done."

And in the middle of a pandemic..

Smith says diabetics are even more vulnerable.

Sot - lacy smith - clinical dietician - baptist memorial hospital golden triangle "as we know covid does affect the population with diabetes at a greater extent.

It is important to know that... there are people walking around that do have diabetes that don't now it yet..

So screening is definitely is an important step.."

And lacy says it's important to know and recognize the symptoms. sot - lacy smith - clinical dietician - baptist memorial hospital golden tag smith suggests people to get a smith suggests people to get a screening once a year.

Intro although triple-a is expecting a ten percent drop in holiday travel this year... one group that will hit the highway... and that's college students returning home.

For those people... mississippi state is trying to make sure students don't take the virus home...or bring it back.

Wcbi's stephen pimpo joins us live in the studio with more..

As of this morning, mississippi state reports they have 284 students under quarantine.

With thanksgiving just days away...the school started another round of free covid-19 testing today to help state students make sure they aren't in danger of infecting their loved ones when they get home.

Pkg "i'm definitley glad i'm getting tested before i go home just to make absolutely sure i'm not endangering any family members."

This thanksgiving...the turkey and mashed potatoes are not the only things that could get passed around the dinner table.

As triple a predicts the steepest drop in holiday travel in more than 10 years...the covid-19 pandemic has made the annual holiday gathering into a potential minefield.

"are you going home for thanksgiving?

Yes.

Where are you going?

Birmingham, alabama."

"you going home for thanksgiving?

Yes sir.

Where are you going?

I'm going back to murpheysburough, tennessee."

That's why mississippi state is working to make sure their students are well equipped to stay safe and healthy while they are off campus.

"we've been getting emails about social distancing before we go home, quarantining if we've been exposed and then obviously, they're doing free testing right now."

Su: school staff estimate 100-200 students showed up on just the first day of free testing.

The four days of covid tests to clear students for healthy travel are just part of the equation.

Msu's chief communications officer sid salter says the school is in the midst of sending out a series of posts on health and safety through cowbell well and social media that will extend into the holiday break.

"they're just trying to make sure every body's safe and trying to limit gathering sizes and just encouraging you to be really careful around that."

Freshman tanner jones says he will absolutely be taking the safety habits he's developed at msu home with him.

"back home in tennessee, they haven't been great tag the free drive through testing is open to students only.

It's open thursday, friday and monday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in the lot behind the longest student health center.

Mississippi has one of its highest covid-19 case counts since the pandemic began.

Today, the state department of health is reporting one thousand 593 new cases and 20 deaths.

868 people are in hospitals across the state with confirmed or suspected coronavirus symptoms. 201 of patients are in i.c.u.

Beds.

These are numbers that have not been seen in the state since august.

In our viewing area, lee county has the most new cases with 88.

Lafayette has 34, prentiss has 24, monroe has 23, lowndes has 22, and winston county has 18.

Stinger coming up next see how tupelo police officers train for different crisis situations.

Intro in police work, no two calls are ever the same... this is especially true when dealing with people who have emotional issues or maybe they are using drugs... wcbi's allie martin learns more about the specialized training officers receive to deal with crisis situations.

Pkg on a sunday evening in october, tupelo police were called to a potential hostage situation at an apartment complex on milford street.

Officers found out the suspect was not holding any hostages, but had been in a fight, and locked himself in an apartment, with a weapon.

Nats after about an hour of talking with the man on the phone, he surrendered peacefully.

Tupelo police chief bart aguirre says the main goal with any crisis situation is simple.

"officer safety, and also to get the person that is having a crisis, being able to get them home safe, or away from danger they may be causing themselves or could be the danger confronting the officers."

Aguirre says the key to that outcome is communication and officers receive special training to handle crisis situations.

"these officers that are training to be crisis negotiators, have to be very good, these are dedicated officers, number one, whenever we interview these officers to be on this, we look for officers who are very self motivated."

Standup bridge that specialized training is expensive and that's where partnerships with federal agencies help out.

Crisis negotiators attend classes taught by the fbi and homeland security.

The partnership also provides training and funding for other specialized teams, like the bomb squad.

"funding is essential, and that specialized training, you can't get anyplace else, except without that partnership, give you a for instance, our eod team, has a specialized vehicle, tools we use in our eod team."

Once trained, crisis negotiators and other specialized team members can help police in other cities and towns if called upon.

In tupelo.

Allie martin, wcbi news stinger and other specialized team teams, like the bomb squad.

"funding is essential, and that specialized training, you can't get anyplace else, except without that partnership, give you a for instance, our eod team, has a specialized vehicle, tools we use in our eod team."

Once trained, crisis negotiators and other specialized team members can help police in other cities and towns if called upon.

In tupelo.

Allie martin, wcbi news stinger open summary: sunny and quiet conditions are set to hold for at least the next 3 days with the next chance of rain late sunday into monday.

Another system on tuesday and tuesday night could bring us a better chance of rain and storms. we'll need keep an eye on that one for the chance of strong storm activity.

It's still too early to tell if anything will come of it but the setup bears watching.

Wednesday night: clear and quiet.

Not as chilly.

Lows in the mid to upper 30s.

Light se winds.

Thursday: sunny.

Highs in the mid to upper 60s.

Winds sse 10-15 mph with gusts to 20 mph.

Fire conditions will be elevated so it's best not to do any open burning due to the gusty breezes and low humidity.

Thursday night: clear.

Lows in the low to mid 40s.

Friday: sunny.

Highs around 70.

Evening temperatures in the 50s and 40s.

Friday night: mainly clear.

Lows in the 40s.

Saturday: mostly sunny.

Highs in the low 70s.

Saturday night: mostly clear.

Lows in the low 50s.

Sunday: variably cloudy.

Highs in the 70s.

A chance of late day and evening showers.

Monday: sun & clouds with some showers possible.

Highs in the 60s.

Tuesday: partly cloudy with rain and thunder likely during the afternoon and evening.

Highs around 70.

Wednesday & thanksgiving day: partly cloudy.

Highs in the 60s.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger nba dreams will be coming true for some mississippi state bulldogs... next in sports a look at how robert woodard has been preparing for spx open ááátake liveááá it's an exciting night for the mississippi state basketball family... columbus native robert woodard is in his hometown... watching and waiting to hear his name called in the 2020 nba draft... he's a projected first round pick ááset the sceneáá here's where the family will be seated and enjoying the night... the former bulldog doesn't expect it to hit him until he's actually selected... he's been training the past 7-8 months awaiting the actual date for the draft and now that it's here he is ready to get to work..

He's 6 foot 7 with a 7 foot 2 wingspan... based on scouting reports around the league teams are most impressed with his three point shooting and defensive versatility... that fits today's league with all of the three point shooting and fast paced tempos teams run with..

Robert's been putting that work in... 00-05 :18-:23 woodard says: this whole process has taken so much self discipline and has taken me to a level i didn't know i could reach mentally of physically.

It's been long and fun as well i have enjoyed it the whole way.

Howland says: he was interviewed by every team in the nba in terms of a zoom.

Every team.

Multiple teams, a number of teams, explained this was the best interview of the year that they've had with anybody ááátake live jonááá the nba season is fastracked this year... no summer league and the preseason begins in just three weeks so wherever robert is selected he will have a quicker turnaround than most rookies... a little bit about robert... he didn't begin to realize that the nba was an actual realistic goal until sometime duirng his 9th or 10th grade year..

His favorite player growing up was celtics legend paul pierce... but that turned into being kawhi leonard after he retired... and he grew up a celtics fan before becoming a spus fan he doesn't want to just be a basketball player... he wants to be a businessman... wizards guard admiral schofield's business ventures have inspired robert who majored in business at mississippi state..

This kid's future is certainly bright... we'll keep ypu update on where he's selected and hear from him tonight at 10... this week's player this week's player of the week is a duel player of the week!

Two winona tigers claim the honor.....junior running back deriaun townsend and senior wide receiver robert mcmath.

Townsend rushed for 208 yards and 2 tds.

Mcmath had 4 receptions for 144 yards and 2 tds as well in their win over senatobia.

Here's what the two had to say on their performance "my line blocks good.

They opened up holes for me all night.

I just tried to do the rest.

When i broke out the touchdown for about 60 yards maybe, i got past the linebacker.

The safety i passed him and he was catching up to me.

I did a little back cut and got into the endzone with that.

That's it."

"we were running the ball well.

They had double teamed me.

We got them off the double team thinking we were gonna run the ball.

He just threw it up and i made a great catch."

When we return...chief meteorologist keith gibson will have a last look at your forecast.

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