Sheriff’s auction slated for June 30

Six on local “Most Wanted” list have been apprehended

The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office has taken six fugitives off of its “10 Most Wanted” list after they were arrested for the crimes for which they were being sought. 

The six will be replaced on the list with other fugitives who have managed to elude arrest and prosecution.   
No longer being sought are Larry Melvin Catlett Jr., Kenneth W. Knight, Marvin
Lebron Anderson, Andrew Wayne Vaughn, Roxanne Renee Vance, and Christopher Marc Rush.

Four other fugitives are being sought. They are:

• Kenneth R. Oliver, 43, wanted for Violation of the Sexual Offender Registry.
• Joad Andre Silveira, 27, wanted on two counts of Violating the Sexual Offender Registry and two counts of Failure to Appear.
• DeDe Nicole Neely, 20, wanted for Assault.
• Ray W. Brown, 56, wanted for two counts of Passing Worthless Checks over $500.

Mug shots of each wanted individual can be seen on the department’s web site by clicking the 10 Most Wanted icon at www.bradleysheriff.com.

Anyone with information about any of the individuals appearing on the “10 Most Wanted List” should contact the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, at 728-7337, or 9-1-1.  

Missing Person Found Dead - Pamela J. Lane

A missing person’s report was filed at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office for Pamela Jo Lane, white female, 29 years of age, who hasn’t contacted relatives or friends since May 4th.

Lane is 5’4” tall, weighs approximately 185 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair.  She has tattoos on both arms.

Anyone who has seen or knows the whereabouts of Pamela Jo Lane, a.k.a. Pamela Myers and Pamela Chitwood, is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office at 728-7337.

UPDATE - 06/01/2007 9:10am - The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is following up on new information obtained from a person of interest (Scotty Myers pictured here, courtesy of Bay County, Florida, Sheriff's Office ) in the case of missing person Pamela Jo Lane.  We are in the process of executing a second search warrant at a residence on PebblebrookDrive and have secured a site off Pleasant Grove Road in Bradley County that we believe is connected to this case.

UPDATE - 06/01/2007 @ 5pm -  Listen to Sheriff Gobble's Press Conference

UPDATE - 06/02/2007 @ 1:48pm - Forensics investigators with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's, Forensics Lab have confirmed that the body found Friday in a shallow grave near the Price Chapel Cemetery was that of 29-year-old Pamela Jo Lane, missing since May 4th.

UPDATE - 06/09/2007 @ 3:35pm -  The following statement was released today by Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble regarding the investigation of Pamela Jo Lane's death. 

“Today Scott Myers, suspect in the disappearance and murder of Pamela Jo Lane, is in Tennessee custody after waiting extradition from Florida. Bradley County Correction deputies traveled to Florida yesterday and returned to Tennessee with Myers today. Upon arrival at the Bradley County Justice Center Myers was booked on charges of tampering and fabricating with evidence and abuse of a corpse. He is currently held without bond.

“The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office continue to work closely and additional charges are expected in the near future. Myers is scheduled to appear in court on Monday before Judge Sheridan Randolph for arraignment.

“I want to express my appreciation to Florida authorities for their cooperation and assistance in this case as well as the cooperation and assistance of law enforcement agencies in the southeast Tennessee region.”

LATEST UPDATE:  6-14-07

The Bradley County Grand Jury on Wednesday returned an indictment charging Scotty LeeMyers with 1^st Degree Murder in connection with the death of Pamela Jo Lane. Lane had disappeared on May 4, 2007.

Lane’s body was discovered buried at the edge of a local cemetery on June 1^st, 2007. An  autopsy confirmed that Lane had suffered a gunshot to the head.

Additional information will be forthcoming.
Keep checking www.BradleySheriff.com for further updates.

I want to recognize a particular segment of our employees who do an excellent job everyday meeting the needs of those individuals who are confined in the Bradley County jail.

Correction officers for the most part spend their entire 12-hour workday inside the jail where they are in close proximity with those who are incarcerated by the orders of a court. This can be very stressful and it requires special traits to work within restrictions the job requires.   

Correction officers serve in a variety of positions throughout the jail.  There are those who work as intake officers in the booking area where individuals are processed when they are brought into the jail.  Others are movement officers, escorting inmates from one area of the jail to another.  There are also pod officers who are stationed inside the day room where they can interact with the inmates in that cell block and monitor their behavior.

The Bradley County jail has a capacity of 408 inmates.  Tennessee Correction Institute conducted a staffing analysis of our facility which said when we reach capacity we will need a staff of 92 correction deputies. We have exceeded our capacity several times, primarily when we have a number of people admitted to the jail over a weekend  who cannot bond out until they go before the judge on Monday morning.   

At the present time we have 86 correction officer positions leaving us six short of state’s required level of 92.  I have asked for additional funds in our budget next year to  bring us up to where TCI says we should be.

As Sheriff I am responsible for the proper operation of the jail within TCI’s guidelines. They say it will take 92 correction officers to ensure the safety and security of this facility, around-the-clock seven days a week, so it is imperative we increase staffing to avoid potential problems that not having the required number of correction deputies can create.     

Our facility at present meets or exceeds each of the state’s minimum requirements for county jails of this size and has been certified by the state.   

I also believe steps must be taken to reduce the population of the jail.  I have recommended a bunkhouse style facility that could be constructed beside the Judicial Complex to house non-violent misdemeanor offenders. This would be a low-cost option to free up high-cost jail space to provide additional capacity.  I presented this plan to the county commission this spring and await further discussion on the proposal.   

This appears to be the best way we can provide additional space to house inmates at the least cost to taxpayers.