Indiana Conservation Officers’ investigation of the thefts of animal parts and hides by a former local taxidermist that occurred as early as 2011 has resulted in the arrest of a suspect.
Cody Leed, 45, of Plymouth, was arrested Feb. 28 on warrants through Marshall County for eight misdemeanor charges of theft, one felony theft charge, and one felony charge of corrupt business influence.
In December 2019, DNR Law Enforcement was notified that a local taxidermist had received animal parts and payments for services that were never returned or refunded, and told that the taxidermist had since dissolved his business but continued to maintain possession of the animal parts.
Conservation Officers have identified multiple victims in the case, and seek additional victims.
Conservation Officers encourage the public to contact DNR Law Enforcement Central Dispatch at 812-837-9536 with pertinent information.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Mrs. Mary Lois Loudin, 75, of Seymour, passed away on February 26, 2020, at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana. Mary was born in Portsmouth, Virginia to the late Bramble and Ethel (Collins) Adams.
She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. Mary worked for Hoosier Christian Village in Brownstown as a Qualified Medical Assistant and for Jackson Training Service as the secretary.
Mrs. Loudin is survived by her children, Viola “Linnie” (Scott) McClellan, Deric (Jennifer) Loudin, Donetta Loudin; grandchildren, Mary Catherine Burbrink, Amanda Loudin, JoElla Morey, Kristine Chestnut, Briley Wilcox, Stuart Wilcox; great-granddaughter, Ava Grace Lloyd, Oliver Reid Morey; sister, Sharon Sturgill.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Donald Loudin; brothers, John Adams, Oliver “Bear” Adams.
Funeral services will be handled by Voss & Sons Funeral Service with a service at Voss Chapel on Monday, March 2 at 10:30 am with Pastor Aaron Ferguson officiating. Burial will follow at Old Regular Valley Home Baptist Cemetery.
Family and friends may call at Voss Chapel on Sunday, March 1 from 4 to 7 pm and again on Monday, March 2 from 9:30 am until time of service.
Memorials may be written to St. Jude’s Children Hospital.
Mary Elizabeth (Murphy) Adkins, 79, of Taswell, Indiana died at her residence on February 29, 2020. She was born on June 2, 1940, in Milltown, Indiana to the late Alfred and Mary Lillian (Webster) Murphy.
She was a homemaker and loving mother.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Harry E. Adkins; 3 sisters and 4 brothers.
She is survived by her son, Harry (Bub) Adkins and wife, Amy of Taswell, IN; daughters, Carolyn Adkins; Mary Greulich and husband, Gary; Jody Montgomery and husband, Nathan- all of Taswell; and Sherry C. Chapman and husband, Bobby of Richland, IN; sisters, Betty Satterfield of Depauw, IN and Esther Nuendorf of Evansville, IN; grandchildren: Jennifer Wilson, Erica Cox, Amber Tucker, Audrey, and Colten Montgomery, Lindsey Ingle, and Zach Adkins; and great-grandchildren: Bria, Finnis, River, Tobias, Haven, Ada, and Millie.
Funeral services will be on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home in Milltown, Indiana. Interment will follow in the Taswell Cemetery.
Visitation will be on Monday, March 2, 2020, from 4-8 p.m. and after 9:00 a.m. until time of the service at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, all at the funeral home.
Bro. Bobby Chapman will officiate the service.
Brown Funeral Home in Milltown, Indiana is entrusted with the arrangements.
Gail Y. (Eastridge) Dillard, 55, of Marengo, Indiana died on February 28, 2020, at her residence. She was born on January 20, 1965, in Paoli, Indiana to Walter G. and Sharon L. (Byerly) Eastridge.
She was a caregiver for seniors.
She is survived by her father and mother: Walter G. (Red) and Sharon L. (Byerly) Eastridge of Marengo, IN; her son, Brent Michael Dillard of New Albany, IN; her sister Karla Carroll and her husband, Jason of Marengo, IN; and a nephew, Timmy Eastridge.
A celebration of life will be on Saturday, March 7, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. at the Brown Funeral Home in Milltown, Indiana.
Visitation will be after 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, 2020, at the funeral home.
Bro. Morris Larimore will officiate the service.
Brown Funeral Home in Milltown, Indiana is entrusted with the arrangements.
Marcia Senn, age 72 of Salem, passed away Saturday, February 29, 2020, in her residence.
Born July 22, 1947, in New Albany, Indiana, she was the daughter of the
late Harold W. and Geneva R. (Morgan) Naugle.
Marcia was a retired teacher at Bradie Shrum Elementary, where she taught from 1985 until 2013. She was a member of Blue River Baptist Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, Bible study leader, and choir member.
She had been a life resident of Washington County, was a 1965 graduate of Salem High School and was a talented singer for hundreds of weddings, funerals, and events.
On August 25, 1967, she married John R. Senn, who survives.
Also surviving are 3 Daughters: Amanda (Jeff) Feist of Pekin, Elizabeth (John) Heavin of Salem and Olivia (Todd) Jolly of Denver, Colorado; 1 Sister: Rita Elliott of Salem; 3 Brothers: Burl Naugle of Murray, Kentucky, Boyd Naugle of Louisville and Brad H. Naugle of Salem and 7 grandchildren: Rebekah, Hannah and Chloe Feist, Ella and Audrey Heavin and Nate and Micah Jolly.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Linda Stamper.
Funeral Service: 11:00 am Wednesday at Blue River Baptist Church, followed by interment in the church cemetery.
Visitation: 4 to 8 pm Tuesday at Dawalt Funeral Home and after 10 am Wednesday at Blue River Baptist Church.
If someone wishes to make a donation, the family requests donations to the charity of your choice.
Indiana StatePolice Internet Crimes Against Children Unit initiated a criminal investigation in July 2018 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding images of child pornography being transmitted with the use of Facebook.
Indiana StatePolice Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Tony Ray Biggs, 51, of Evansville.
During the investigation, statepolice detectives took possession of Biggs’ laptop and external storage card.
A forensic exam and review of the materials revealed child pornography.
The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office issued a felony arrest warrant today for Biggs.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., Indiana StatePolice arrested Biggs at his place of employment without incident.
He was taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail where he is currently being held on bond.
Arrested and Charges:
Tony Ray Biggs, 51, Evansville, IN
Two Counts of Child Exploitation, Level 4 Felony
Three Counts of Possession of Child Pornography, Level 5 Felony
Investigating Officers: Detective Matt Jacobs, Sergeant Dave Price and Sergeant Marty Metzger, Indiana StatePolice
Assisting Officers: Trooper Hunter Manning and Trooper Alex Vennekotter
A Cinderella season that capped off with the Salem Lady Lions playing for the school’s first state final appearance in sports in 70 years ended at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse with the Northwood Panthers edging out the Class 3A state girls basketball championship with a 37-29 victory.
This was the lowest-scoring game in Class 3A Girls State Final history. In fact, it took Northwood almost six minutes before they scored a basket in the first quarter.
Salem Lady Lions Coach Jerry Hickey speaks to the press after the game at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.
The seventh-ranked Panthers capped their 28-3 season by making nine of 10 free throws in the game’s final 1:47 to pull away.
Through the first three quarters, there had been five lead changes, three ties and 14 occasions in which the point spread was three or fewer points.
It was a low-scoring game and was only 13-12 at the half, with Salem leading.
The Lady Lions were only down by one (21-20) with less than five minutes in the game.
Salem’s biggest lead was 11 and the Panther’s led by 11 with:21 left in the game until Salem’s Macie Tomlinson hit a 3 with:10 left and cut the lead back down to 8. Before that 3-pointer, the Lions had only scored 6 points in the final stanza.
Forward Maddy Payne, a 6-1 senior, scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to lead Northwood to its second state title, following the 1999 squad that cut the nets inside what was the final girl’s finals played at Market Square Arena.
Salem, which took the hardwood ranked No. 1, finished its season with a 25-4 record after making the state finals for the first time in program history.
They were the first Salem team to compete in an IHSAA state finals event since the 1930 boys’ basketball team.
Leading 21-20 after three quarters, NorthWood provided itself with some much-needed breathing room by scoring the first five points of the final stanza before Salem signaled timeout at the 4:14 mark.
The Lions responded with a drive to the hoop and layup by Karly Sweeney, but a Payne basket in close pushed the lead back to six.
Salem managed to stay within four points on two more occasions thanks to baskets by sophomore backup forward Abigail Ratts, but it was here the Panthers began capitalizing at the free-throw line. Ratts led the Lions with 10 points.
Two records were set during Saturday’s game; fewest points allowed – 29 by Northwood and fewest combined points scored –
66 by Northwood (37) and Salem (29).
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Maddy Payne of NorthWood High School as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Girls Basketball.
The award is presented annually to a senior participant in each classification who was nominated by her principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.
Maddy is a four-year varsity letter winner for the Lady Panthers and a three-time First Team All-Northern Lakes Conference selection. She was awarded the Black Swish Mental Attitude Award in 2018 and 2019 and was also selected as the 2020 Inkfree News Girls Basketball Player of the Year this season. Payne is also a member of the Northwood volleyball and track and field teams.
Salem scored, by quarter – 7, 6, 7, 9 for 29 points.
Northwood scored, by quarter – 7, 5, 9 and 16 for 37 points.
Last night at approximately 7:20, Trooper Austin Keller was patrolling on Main Street near Vine Street in Boonville when he spotted a Chevrolet Trailblazer that had improper registration.
Trooper Keller attempted to stop the vehicle when the driver turned into McDonald’s, but the driver failed to stop and drove around the restaurant twice before exiting the parking lot and driving east on Locust Street at approximately 45 mph in a 30 mph zone.
The driver nearly struck another vehicle that had stopped in the right lane near the intersection of Locust and 2nd Street. When the driver swerved to avoid hitting the stopped vehicle he lost control.
His vehicle left the roadway on the south side, slid through the parking lot of the post office before striking a light pole and a building located at 204 West Locust Street.
There were several people inside the building, but they were not injured.
After striking the building, the driver put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to leave the scene, but the vehicle was disabled. The driver was ordered out of the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver was identified as Joshua Taylor, 37, of Lamar. Further investigation revealed his driver’s license status was suspended. When officers searched his vehicle they found multiple smoking pipes.
Taylor was arrested and taken to the Warrick County Jail where he is currently being held on bond.
