Lexington Police have exhausted all their leads in the July 2014 murder of Amanda Franco, who was shot while sitting on the steps of her Race Street home. Now they’re turning to the public for help.

“We normally do get a lot of tips” says Detective Mark Thomas. “A lot of through-the-grapevine type leads to investigate.  Unfortunately, in this case we don’t even have a name.”

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Crime Stoppers is offering a thousand dollar cash reward for information that cracks the case. If you know anything, call the tip line at 859.253.2020.

A prison escape had people living in upstate New York, living in fear for weeks. Now LEX 18 News learned an escape plan from a jail, was hatched in Central Kentucky.

Two Franklin County inmates were indicted on Tuesday for trying to escape from jail, through a small opening behind a shower. However, the jail and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department foiled their plan.

“You know where there’s a will there’s a way, I guess. And, ha, they really wanted to get out,” said Frankfort resident Pamela Klemens, when she heard the story.

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She was talking about James Robert Goodlett and William Michael Robinson. Both men were already locked up for organized crime, among other charges, when they were indicted on Tuesday for attempting to escape from the Franklin County Jail in May.

“It’s very rare that you are going to see an escape like this be successful,” said Franklin County Commonwealths Attorney Larry Cleveland.

Cleveland said the two men found a small opening behind a metal face plate in an inoperable shower, exposing a pipe chase. Then law enforcement said the duo practiced their escape.

“One of them went through, went a short distance, came back. The other one was too large to squeeze through,” said Cleveland.

Cleveland said the inmates’ plan was to climb into the crawl space and make their way to the roof. However, county officials are not sure what the men would have done when they got there.

“I guess they thought they were going to sprout wings and fly from there. You know, like I said, it wasn’t well thought out,” said Cleveland.

The Sheriff’s department said their deputies and the jail gained information from sources and quickly shut the plan down. The Franklin County Commonwealth’s Attorney said jail officials are taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

James Goodlett and William Robinson are also indicted for criminal mischief and causing more than five-thousand dollars worth of damage to the jail.

“I think the Sheriff’s Department, you know, they did an amazing job getting in there and getting it taken care of,” said Klemens.

In a statement Franklin County Jailer Rick Rogers said, “during my years of service her at the Franklin County Regional Jail, this is the most credible escape attempt from the secure portion of the jail I can remember.”

Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton added “that because of the great working relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the Jailer’s team we were very successful in preventing an escape from our jail. Detectives and Deputy Jailer’s did an excellent job on this case.”

People in Franklin County said they’re sure this escape plan will be the last.

“Don’t do it, ha. Pat Melton and his deputies are on the ball and going to stop you, so don’t try to do it,” said Klemens.

A Kentucky man accused of murdering an elderly Ohio woman says he’s seen the ghost of his alleged victim.

The Journal-News in Ohio says newly released audio of Daniel French’s confession in a Kentucky jail reveals disturbing details in the death of 86-year-old Barbara Howe. The audio is from a 40-minute-interview with French after he was captured in Rockcastle County in December 2014.

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French is accused of killing Howe more than two years earlier in Ohio. Howe’s body was found in the trunk of the car.

During the alleged confession the Journal-News says French tells the detective that he only meant to rob the elderly woman, not kill her.

“I just wanted to see if she had money. I was going to take it.  Basically I took a stun gun. This is all I was going to do. It didn’t work. It wasn’t my intention to choke her to death. I was just trying to get her to black out and she wouldn’t. I choked her to death,” French told detectives.

In an interesting twist, French told detectives that he was haunted by Howe’s ghost and that he had apologized to her apparition.

“I seen Ms. Howe’s ghost and I told her I was sorry,” French is recorded saying.

French was extradited to Ohio to face a murder charge. His defense attorneys are attempting to keep the jury from hearing the taped confession by saying that French was not in the right state of mind during the interview.

French also told detectives that he got $18 dollars and a diamond ring in the robbery, but he later threw the ring out of his window. If convicted, French could face the death penalty.

Two defendants pleaded guilty on June 26, 2015, in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Charles R. Simpson III, to a single charge of bank robbery by force or violence announced Acting United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.

Leonard Duane Sisk, age 54, of Cecilia, in Hardin County, Kentucky, and Justin Matthew Collinge, age 32, of Leitchfield, in Grayson County, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to the December 23, 2014 robbery of the Westport Bank in Glendale, Kentucky.

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According to the plea agreements, on December 23, 2014, defendant Sisk, knowingly aided and abetted by defendant Collinge, who acted as the getaway driver, robbed the West Point Bank. Sisk admitted to wearing a disguise while inside the bank, to demanding money from the teller, and to pointing a toy pistol at the teller which was painted black. The teller handed Sisk $8,815.00. Collinge admitted to driving a vehicle provided by Sisk, to the bank and to waiting for the robbery to occur, before acting as the getaway driver subsequent to the robbery. Further, Sisk acknowledged his role in the robbery to detectives of the Kentucky State Police on January 5, 2015.

If convicted at trial, the defendants could have been sentenced to no more than 20 years in prison, followed by a three year period of supervised release and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled before Senior Judge Simpson on September 11, 2015, in Louisville.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ream and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with assistance from the Kentucky State Police.

Law enforcement authorities in Barton County continue to search for a drug suspect.

The Sheriff’s office reported on at 10 p.m. on Friday a multi-agency drug enforcement operation was conducted in the city of Ellinwood.

Officers from Great Bend and Ellinwood arrived at 515 S. Bismark in Ellinwood, along with deputies from the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and Special Agents from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The Great Bend Police Department’s drug detecting canine Kia also responded at the request of Ellinwood.

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Officers were searching for Brandon Dannebohm, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Dannebohm had fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers, but Canine Officer Kia was able to locate a large quantity of methamphetamine hidden inside the apartment.

The methamphetamine had an approximate street value of $45,000. It is believed that the meth was intended for distribution to other drug dealers in the Great Bend and Barton County area.

Law enforcement offers are still searching for Brandon Dannebohm.

He has been known to carry firearms in the past and should be considered dangerous.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency or Crimestoppers at 792-1300.

Crimestoppers is a service which allows people to anonymously submit information, and they will provide the caller with a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest.

The Ross County Sheriff’s Office spent Wednesday searching Paint Creek by air and water.

The department was seeking clues relating to the death of 30-year-old Tameka Lynch, whose body was found in the creek off the 500 block of Falls Road near Bainbridge on Saturday. Lt. Mike Preston said authorities flew over the creek from the dam at the western-most point of the creek in Ross County east to where it dumps into the Scioto River south of Chillicothe.

Deputies in kayaks also took to the creek looking for evidence or any indication there may be another body in the creek. Charlotte Trego, 28, remains missing. Preston said they were hoping to get east of Bainbridge on Wednesday and will pick back up today with the intention of floating down the entirety of the creek.

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As the investigation continues to move forward, Lynch’s parents were making arrangements for her funeral.

“She was so kind-hearted. She’d give the shirt off her back if you needed it,” said Chasity Lett, Lynch’s cousin.

Lynch called her mother, Angela Robinson, almost daily, but the last time Robinson heard from her daughter was on May 16.

“We know in our hearts she’d call her mother,” Lett said. “Her mother was her best friend.”

The family didn’t know Lynch’s husband, Jeremi, hadn’t seen her since May 16 until he filed a Chillicothe police report early the evening of May 20. According to the initial report, released on Wednesday, he told police his wife didn’t have any medical conditions and he didn’t think foul play was involved, but wasn’t “ruling it out.”

Police issued an alert to units to look out for Lynch and appear to have contacted at least one person about her whereabouts. Details on any follow-up would be contained in investigative notes, which are not required to be released and were not released due to the ongoing investigation.

The police department has come under fire from some in the community because Lynch was not entered into the law enforcement database as missing. A local petition has been started on Change.org requesting Mayor Jack Everson order the police department to issue an apology to Lynch’s family, the families of other women recently reported missing and the public.

“Until the facts are presented, it’s going to be subject to speculation, and I can’t control that,” Everson said of criticism on social media.

Everson said he was “anguishing over” Lynch’s death and said they are “dedicated to getting to the bottom of this.”

According to Lett, the family also has been questioning the initial response from police. Some have suggested Lynch’s struggle with drug addiction may have influenced the response from police.

Lett said her cousin had been struggling with opiate addiction over the past six months to a year. Lynch had been prescribed Percocet for Lupus, she added, which led to her addiction.

Police, who are working on the investigation with the sheriff’s office, also have been criticized on the handling of three other missing persons cases this month, specifically regarding whether the person was placed into the national missing person’s database. Law enforcement agencies are restricted to certain criteria before being able to enter them, including whether there is a medical or mental health condition or missing under circumstances that indicate they may be in physical danger.

Complete reports were released Wednesday of when 27-year-old Christina L. Lowery was reported missing on May 14 and Bethany Copas, 41, on May 21.

Lowery had been reported missing by a sister who told police she had moved and then cut off contact with family. According to the report, she told police she did not think Lowery was in danger, but wanted a welfare check if she was found. Police reached out to police in Killeen, Texas, who were not able to contact Lowery.

Lowery was not placed in a database as missing and she contacted police on May 22 to tell them she had moved and was not missing or in danger.

Copas was found disoriented with her van on Saturday in a church parking lot. She had been placed in the system as missing. According to the report, her husband told police she was on three types of medication.

The report also indicated police had asked the sheriff’s office to check Ross Lake because she likes to go there, and they also talked with a man on May 22 who who said he’d seen Copas driving the day before.

Trego, who remains missing, was placed into the missing persons database after her mother reported her missing May 18 after not hearing from her daughter for two weeks.

According to the report, Yvonne Boggs told police her daughter is addicted to heroin, suffers from depression and has a history of suicide attempts. Based on the contacts listed on the report, police contacted at least four people about Trego’s whereabouts.

Law enforcement has not connected Trego’s disappearance with Lynch, but they were on the look out for her as they searched Paint Creek on Wednesday.

So far, the investigation into Lynch’s death has been full of rumors and dead-end leads, Lett said. While she didn’t personally know of Lynch being friends with anyone in Bainbridge, Lett said she’s heard there is a house where her cousin and others would go.

Although Lett said the family has been told her cousin was dead before ending up in the creek, the sheriff’s office has yet to confirm that information.

The Ross County Coroner issued a release Wednesday saying no details from the autopsy will be released until the autopsy is completed. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office is performing the autopsy, and it could take up to 10 weeks to be complete due to toxicology tests.

“Once the investigation has been completed and all final reports are available, the cause and manner of death will be available,” the release read.

On Wednesday, the Ross County Sheriff’s Office created a Facebook page as another way people could pass tips along. While a news release indicated Sheriff George Lavender had been contemplating starting a page, he was prompted to move forward as a result of Lynch’s death.

Although started in the midst of the Lynch investigation, the community is encouraged to use it to pass along concerns or tips regarding any criminal activity in Ross County. The page will be reviewed and monitored daily by a member of the sheriff’s command staff. People also can continue to report information by calling 740-773-1185.

“I think a lot of people know more than they’re saying,” Lett said. “(Her death) is hard on me, but it’s killing her parents.”

Among those grieving are Lynch’s three young children, ages 10, 5 and 4.

MISSING PERSON DATABASE

The National Crime Information Center says that a person can be entered into the system as missing if they:

• have a proven physical or mental disability.

• are missing under circumstances indicating that they may be in physical danger.

• are missing after a catastrophe.

• are missing under circumstances indicating their disappearance may not have been voluntary.

• are younger than 21 and do not meet the above criteria.

• are 21 and older and do not meet any of the above criteria but for whom there is a reasonable concern for their safety.

Source: FBI website

HAVE YOU SEEN HER

Charlotte Trego was last reported heard from on May 3. She is described as a white female, 5-foot-4, 160 pounds, dark hair, and blue eyes. She has a tattoo of “JAMES” on her chest and a Playboy bunny on her upper arm. Anyone who has any information about Trego can call Chillicothe police at 740-773-1191 or anonymously call Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers at 740-773-TIPS.

Kentucky State Police in Pikeville, is seeking the public’s help in gathering information pertaining to a hit-and-run collision that occurred on June 18, 2015 in Floyd County.

On June 18, 2015, Jeffery Turner, 52 of Martin, was discovered fatally injured, lying in the roadway of KY Route 80 in the community of Martin. Investigation revealed that Turner’s injuries were a result of being struck by a vehicle that had fled from the scene. KSP Detectives were able to obtain surveillance footage depicting a white passenger car in the area at the time of the incident. The vehicles make and model is unknown at this time.

http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html

Kentucky State Police is asking if anyone has any information pertaining to this case, please contact the Kentucky State Police Post 09, Pikeville at (606) 433-7711 or toll free at 1-800-222-5555. Callers can remain anonymous.

Authorities are looking for a missing teenage girl from Bowling Green who may be traveling to northern Kentucky, Indiana or Ohio with a man who is suspected to be suicidal and dangerous.

Warren County Deputies responded to a report of a missing juvenile in Bowling Green. Upon arrival, they determined that 16-year-old Emily Bryant Rhodes could potentially be in danger.

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Emily Bryant Rhodes is 16 years old and was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and red pajama style pants with a Dr. Pepper logo on them. Rhodes is a white female with brown shoulder length hair and stands five-feet-one-inches tall and weighs approximately 196 pounds.

Rhodes is believed to be in company of 20-year-old David Harvey. Harvey is a white male standing five-feet-ten-inches tall and weighs approximately 194 pounds. Both are believed to be in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix 4-door BLACK in color with KY registration plate of 231-DVV.

Deputies believe Rhodes left voluntarily but that she is most likely in danger due to Harvey’s criminal history. Additionally, deputies have reason to suspect that Harvey is potentially suicidal. Harvey is now wanted by Warren County Sheriff’s Office related to a bench warrant for Failure to Comply with original charges of Unlawful Transaction w/ Minor First Offense, Prohibited Use of Elec Com Sys to Procure Minor, and Custodial Interference.

Deputies have information that the two could be en route to the Northern Kentucky, Indiana, or Ohio area. Anyone with information is urged to report it to law enforcement officials immediately, via 911 or at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 270-842-1633.

A former state representative and Pikeville coal operator, Wendell Keith Hall, has been convicted by a jury of bribing a federal mine official.

The jury deliberated for one hour and 30 minutes following five days of trial. According to evidence presented at trial, Hall, who represented House District 93 in the Kentucky General Assembly, paid mine reclamation officer Kelly Shortridge for favorable treatment in connection with his official duties.

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Shortridge worked as an environmental inspector for the Office of Surface Mine Reclamation and Enforcement, where he was responsible for enforcing federal mine reclamation laws and regulations. From 2006 through 2011, Shortridge inspected mines owned by Hall. Shortridge ignored violations that occurred on Hall’s property in exchange for a series of payments totaling over $46,000.

The evidence also established that the two men disguised the payments as consulting fees. In 2010, they set up a shell company, DKJ Consulting, in the name of Shortridge’s wife and opened a bank account with her as the sole authorized signatory on the account. Hall then used a company he owned, S&K Properties, to funnel money to Shortridge through DKJ to make the payments appear as legitimate business expenses.

“Mr. Hall’s brazen scheme to corrupt an important governmental function for his personal benefit is made all the more egregious by his former status as a member of the Kentucky General Assembly,” said Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The United States will seek a sentence which properly reflects the serious nature of Mr. Hall’s criminal conduct.”

Shortridge pleaded guilty in February of this year. Shortridge is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2015.

Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Howard S. Marshall, Special Agent in Charge, FBI; and Scott Oliver, Department of Interior, Office of Inspector General, jointly made the announcement.

Hall faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. However, any sentence imposed will come after the Court considers the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes governing the imposition of sentences.