Local News
Pair charged with murder of toddler
Also face charges of assault, criminal abuse of 8-month-old child
By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer
A Knox County grand jury returned an indictment Monday charging Crystal Garland and Jeremy Strunk with the murder of a two-year-old child and first-degree assault and criminal abuse of an 8-month-old child.
According to a source close to the case, about Aug. 19, 2008, Troy McLendon, son of Garland, died on the way to a hospital after he was found to be non-responsive at his home.
The first count of the indictment charges Garland and Strunk with murdering McLendon.
The source says an examination of the younger child, identified as M.D. in the indictment, and a post-mortem examination of McLendon revealed that each had fractured skulls.
M.D. was removed from the home by state Child and Family Services.
Count two charging first-degree assault claims the pair, “while under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life (they) wantonly engaged in conduct which creates a great risk of death to another and thereby caused serious physical injury by M.D.”
The final count charges the pair with first-degree criminal abuse of M.D.
Garland was described as 28 years old and living in Corbin. Strunk, 32, was listed as living in Gray.
A 34-count indictment charges Donald R. Eversole, 19, and Patrick Wilson, 23, both of Barbourville, and Brandon Cox, 23, of Pineville with criminal mischief.
The trio was arrested in early October after a short spree of shooting at vehicles with BB and pellet guns.
Sheriff John Pickard described the event as vehicles being assaulted. They ranged from personal cars to church buses, the sheriff said.
The alleged shooters were charged with four counts of first-degree criminal mischief, three counts of second-degree criminal mischief and 27 counts of third-degree criminal mischief.
In other indictments: Ricky D. Williams, 40, of Indian Harbor Beach, Fla., and Brittany N. Sowers, 24, of Owingsville, were both charged with first- and third-degree trafficking in controlled substances. He was also charged with public intoxication. She was charged with driving under the influence and failing to wear a seat belt.
Darrell Combs, 39, of Manchester, theft of controlled substance worth $300 or more.
Brian Smith, 23, of Barbourville, receiving stolen property valued between $500 and $10,000 and being a persistent felony offender.
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