PaoliFest is a free music, art and film festival in nearby Paoli next weekend, August 9 and 10. 

The festival debuted in 2018 with more than 1,300 attendees for a single day event. The 2019 event is expanding to two days and will be held in JayCee Park in downtown Paoli.

Featuring three stages with live performances, an art demo area, food, and craft vendors and a youth area, PaoliFest 2019 promises to be an extraordinary weekend of music, art, and community.

Performances include acts from Arizona, New York, Nashville, Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville and an array of great local musicians, including youth performers, featuring genres from Folk and Bluegrass to Soul, Funk, Gospel, Classical and more.

Programming includes workshops in various visual arts disciplines as well as guitar, banjo, violin, and other instruments. Other features include an all-day jam tent, community art collaborations, puppet shows and a variety of food and beverage vendors. Demonstrations will take place throughout the day and will include blacksmithing, weaving, mosaics, broom-making, metal pouring and many more.

All programming is free. PaoliFest is a nonprofit festival produced by Let Music Speak, a 501c3 organization dedicated to creating community, empowering youth and addressing community health through the lens of the arts.

Let Music Speak is founded on the idea that music and art programming can be transformative for communities, families, and individuals, and that everyone should have access to these experiences.

They partner with local organizations to present festivals, performances, and creative events. Programs are community and youth-centric and aim to both celebrate and model the vibrant diversity of the world.

On July 31st, at 11:30p, Orange County Central Dispatch received a call from a concerned relative of William and Amber Tracy, who requested a welfare check after being unable to contact them by phone after several attempts.

The location was 615 SW 1st St in Paoli and the Paoli Police Department was dispatched and the Officer on duty responded.

At the home, the Officer met with the relative, who said it was unusual to be unable to reach them by phone.

Adding to their concern were recent domestic issues between the couple.

The Officer knocked on the front door and verbally
identified himself. After many attempts, there was no response from inside.

The Officer looked through covered windows but was unable to see inside. The Officer explained to the caller he did not observe any indication the Tracys were in distress and there was no evidence of a crime.

Nothing was observed to justify forcing entry into the private residence.

Regardless of requests from family members, if they do not live in the residence, they cannot authorize forced entry.

According to Sgt. Tyler Phillips with the Paoli Police Department, “In order to breach an exterior door to gain entry to any private residence, a Police Officer must have clear and articulable facts to justify a warrantless entry.”

Before the Officer left the home, the relative was encouraged to call if further assistance was needed.

At 12:50p, Orange County Central Dispatch received a second call from the same relative, who had entered the home through an unlocked window and found two individuals unresponsive.

Paoli Police was notified and the same Officer immediately returned.

This Officer entered, cleared the home for safety, and determined the individuals found were in fact deceased.

The Officer secured the home, utilizing barrier tape to establish a crime scene. He then requested assistance from other Officers and the County Coroner.

Agencies represented were the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Town of Paoli Animal Control and the Orange County Coroner’s Office.

After arriving, Orange County Coroner Aaron Kemple confirmed positive identification of both decedents.

They were identified as husband and wife, William Tracy, 29, and Amber Tracy, 28.

Both lived in the home, along with their two children, ages 9 and 7. The children were not home at the time of the incident.

Once removed from the home, the bodies of Amber and William were transported to the Lawrence County morgue by Southern Indiana Transport.

Autopsy exams were completed on August 1st by Forensic Pathologist Dr. James Jacobi.

Investigators from the Paoli Police Department and Orange County Coroner’s Office were also present.

Autopsy findings determined both Amber and William Tracy died from single gunshot wounds to the head. Amber’s manner of death was determined to be a homicide, while William’s manner of death was ruled suicide.

After collectively reviewing and evaluating physical evidence, witness statements, and autopsy findings, Investigators have concluded Amber Tracy’s fatal wound came from a 9mm, semi-automatic handgun, owned by William Tracy.

The round was fired by William Tracy, who later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

This round was fired from the same firearm.

The estimated time of death for both Amber and William Tracy is during the early morning hours of July 31, 2019, on or around 2:30 am.

It is unknown exactly how much time passed between their deaths, however, it is believed to be minimal.

After a thorough investigation, which included but was not limited to crime scene processing and evidence collection (“teching the scene”), witness interviews, digital evidence review, and post-mortem findings, Investigators have determined the series of events preceding the shooting.

A description of those events, according to Sgt. Phillips is as follows:

On July 30th, 2019, Paoli Police Officers were dispatched to the Tracy residence on two separate occasions.

These calls were a direct result of an ongoing domestic dispute between the Tracys. 

Both requests for law enforcement were made by an unrelated third party and not the family member previously mentioned.

The first call was initiated at 9:34 pm. The 911 call to Orange County Central Dispatch reported loud yelling coming from outside the home.

The caller felt a domestic dispute was taking place and wanted Officers to investigate the disturbance.

A single Paoli Officer responded and confirmed the Tracys were
the source of the disturbance.

This Officer followed protocol by speaking to each of them separately, assessing them each for injury or evidence of domestic violence, and evaluating their potential for future violence.

Both Amber and William were asked multiple times by this Officer if they had been victims of a crime.

Both denied and there was no visible evidence to the contrary.

Amber told the Officer she was safe and did not wish to leave. The Officer determined both had phone access if the need to seek assistance arose.

Both also stated they could leave the property if they wished. Both independently stated many times they did not need assistance from the police.

Before leaving, the Officer advised both parties if further was needed they should call 911.

After leaving the Tracy residence, this Officer documented their
demeanor as cooperative and after he directly asked, both denied the need for law enforcement assistance. However, the Officer noted he felt the situation had the potential to escalate and reminded other Officers to remain vigilant if calls for service were made in the immediate future.

Due to shift overlap, the second call was answered by a different Paoli Officer.

An Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy also responded for assistance.

During each law enforcement contact, both Tracys admitted to having a loud verbal dispute, however, both independently denied anything physical had taken place. The Officers involved did not observe evidence of a crime or had a reason to make an arrest.

In accordance with Indiana law and department policy,
Officers could not have removed either party from the residence against their will.

Regarding the Tracy children, Investigators determined at the time of this incident, they were with their paternal grandmother.

After the bodies of Amber and William were discovered, the Department of Child Services was contacted and immediate assistance was requested.

Subsequently, the children were interviewed and they are not believed to have been the victims of any crime.

After interviews, the children were placed with other family members.

Currently, their permanent placement has not been determined.

Although the foul play has been eliminated as a possibility in this incident, Paoli Police Investigators are continuing to follow-up on this case.

If anyone has information they feel would aid in the investigation, contact Detective Brandon Mesarosh or Sergeant Tyler Phillips at (812) 723-2836.

Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tips may remain anonymous.

“This is a tragic example of what can occur when someone finds themselves in the“Cycle of Domestic Violence”, noted Sgt. Phillips.

He said the cycle is made up of four phases including
buildup, violent incident, reconciliation, and hope.

“When someone finds themselves in the “Cycle of Domestic Violence”, it is not uncommon for them not to seek help, accept assistance, or leave the situation,” Phillips said. “There are many reasons for this but primarily it due to fear of the consequences or fear that no one will believe them if reported. When a victim fails to leave and a tragic event occurs it is important to remember it is not their fault.”

In their minds, there may be a reason they felt they had to stay.

“If you find yourself falling into the “Cycle of Domestic Violence”, the Officers of the Paoli Police Department strongly encourage you to seek help,” noted Phillips. 

Phillips said it was a common misconception that Police are required to make an arrest when called to a domestic dispute.

“If you reach out to our agency, we will always respond to assist,” said Phillips. “We pledge to do everything within our legal right to aid in keeping victims safe. This includes any minor children who may be witnessing the violence or hear threats of violence.”

The Paoli Police Department would like to publicly acknowledge and thank all of the other public service agencies that assisted in this investigation.

Assisting Agencies: Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Central Dispatch, Orange and Lawrence County Coroners, Dr. James Jacobi, Indiana Dept. of Child Services, Paoli Animal Control Officer Justin Burton, Southern Indiana Transport, Southwestern Indiana Child Advocacy Coalition, and all of the local radio/television media members.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for Monday, August 5 in the following areas: 

• Central Indiana – Marion, Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby 
• Southeast Indiana – Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Scott and Washington

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making simple changes to their daily habits. You can:

• Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
• Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above 

Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors. 

IDEM examines weather patterns and current ozone readings to make daily air quality forecasts. To learn more about ozone or sign up for air quality forecasts, visit www.SmogWatch.IN.gov.

Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather bake vehicle exhaust, factory emissions and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties. 

An inmate from the Jackson County Jail that has been on the loose in Southern Indiana for less than 24 hours, has now been apprehended in Clark County. 

At approximately 8:38 p.m. on Friday 8/2/2019 inmate Daniel A. Coomer, 39, of Clarksville, IN escaped from the Jackson County Jail.

According to Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer more details will be released about Coomer’s capture. 

Prior to the escape a Jail Officer had taken Coomer and other inmates from the holding cell area to the outdoor recreation area just before 8:30 p.m.

The outdoor recreation area is still within the walls of the jail with a fence over top for a roof.

While in the outdoor recreation area Coomer found the door that leads to the outside to be unlocked. At this time it is unknown why the door was unlocked but that is being investigated by the Sheriff, Jackson County Detectives and the Jail Commander.

The escape was discovered by the jail staff around 9:10 p.m. when the inmates were moved back to the holding cell area from the recreation. The jail video surveillance shows Coomer leaving the facility at 8:38 pm. wearing a red jail issued jumpsuit.

Around 11:00 p.m. the Sheriff’s Department received a call from an individual who just arrived home and discovered their residence had been broken into. The address of the home was in the 1100 block South of CR 50 West (Just North of Brownstown Skyline Drive entrance).

It is possible Coomer broke in and stole clothing from this residence to change from his jumpsuit. K-9 units from Seymour Police, Columbus Police, Jennings County Sheriff’s Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Department responded to assist. Brownstown Police, State Police and Medora Police also responded to help set up a perimeter for a K-9 track.

The K-9’s tracked for over 3 hours with several officers from the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies patrolling nearby areas. After the K-9 tracking officers continued to search for Coomer overnight on foot and in patrol vehicles.

At 7:50 a.m. the Sheriff’s Department received a stolen vehicle report from the 3400 block South of CR 300 East (Wegan area just East of SR 39).

Officers responded to the stolen vehicle report and located a UTV side by side in the roadway about 100 yards North of the residence.

It is suspected that Coomer could be in possession of the stolen vehicle which is a red 1993 Chevrolet C15 pickup truck. The truck is a single cab and has an Indiana license plate number of SXQ132.

Coomer was being held on preliminary charges of Impersonation of a public servant, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of paraphernalia, Auto theft, OWI, OWI endangerment and a Floyd County Circuit Court warrant.

An inmate escaped Friday evening at the Jackson County Jail and police are still searching for him.

Police said Daniel A. Coomer escaped from the jail in Brownstown around 8:40 p.m. and was last seen walking toward Brownstown.

Authorities said he escaped “While at outdoor recreation.”

He was last seen walking on Sugar Street near the Brownstown McDonald’s around 10 p.m.

Coomer is:
39 years old
6’0″
230 lbs
Blue Eyes
Brown Hair

If you have any information contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 812-358-2141.

Multiple police agencies are assisting the sheriff’s department at this time.

Coomer was being held at the Jackson County Jail on multiple charges including: Driving while suspended, possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia, auto theft, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing endangerment and impersonation of a public servant.

He’s been held in the jail since June 4, according to jail records.

The Lawrence County Police Department is needing help in locating Felicity Lynn Agan.

 She was last seen at 2870 Tunnleton Road, on August 1^st, 2019 at 1:45 p.m.

She was wearing a grey hoodie, black shorts, and a turquoise and black back-pack.

If you have any information you can contact the Lawrence County Police Department at (812) 275-3316 or the TIP Line at 812-277-2020