Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Oct. 3, 1991, edition 1 / Page 2
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*v ^ STM< PH. * B* TtKHV i1 P? /.VI ESTIMATORS RECOVER I'D remains believed to be those of the rnissint; woman behind the heeler home on Milligan Road near the Ash community. Keeler Accused Of Wife's Murder IIY TKRKV I'OI'K Investigators who unearthed a human linger behind a home near Ash last week believe it belonged to Rhonda Diane Keeler. who has been missing sinee Aug. 17 Warrants for arrest charging her husband. Timothy James Keeler. with first-degree murder and flight were drawn last Thursday. Timothy Keeler. 31. hasn't been seen sinee Sept. 15. His where abouts are un known. Keeler "pre meditated and deliberated" the murder of his wife and then allegedly tried to hide her body in a low-lying swamp behind KhM.kK iheir home near the Ash community. District Attorney Rex Gore asserted Friday . With the discovery of new evi dence. SB1 agents were immediate ly called in around 10 a.m. Thursday to assist in the case, said Brunsw ick County Sheriff John C. Davis. SB1 agents spent two days behind the home recovering bones. "We have found enough physical evidence to make us believe she is buried somewhere in the area." said Davis, at a news conference with Gore last Thursday . "Small parts were found on top of the ground," said Davis, who would not describe them any fur ther. Davis and Gore held the briefing to announce the charges against Keeler and to call on media and public assistance to help find the suspect, who was reportedly last seen hitchhiking toward South Caailina. The first clue of Ms. Keeler's death, a human finger with the fin gernail attached, was discovered by Brunswick County Emergency Management Coordinator Cecil Logan in a small grave about 3(H) feet behind the couple's home on Milligan Road(S.R. 1351). Sheriff's detectives and N.C. Forest Service officials began a grid search of the property around 9 a.m. Thursday, spreading out about arm's length and searching lor clues along the ground. Ms. Keeler was last seen Aug. 17 by her mother, Genevieve Rathburn. who reported her missing to the sheriff's department on Sept. 4. Officers had conducted a routine searvh of the area by land and by helicopter, bul hail turned up noth ing. said Lt. Donnell Marlowe. A nearby creek bottom was also dratted prior to last week's more thorough seareh. he said. "It's not a very easily accessible area." said Gore. Gore said it was "pretty obvious" someone had tried to restore the earth to its original state at the travcMte. The bones have been identified as human Nxi> parts, bul identifying them as those of Ms. Keeler will lake some time at the SHI crime lab. said Gore. However, evidence would indicate the remains are those of the missing woman, he added. Detectives believe Keeler has fled Brunswick County. A source told officers tbe> saw the suspect trying to thumb a ride on U.S. 17 south of Shallotte about the lime he was last seen on Sunday, Sept. 15. w hen Ins landlord came to the home and collected the month's rent. The next day, officers contacted Keeler and asked if he would agree to lake a polygraph test relating to hi> wife's disappearance, said Davis. "He had been cooperative. We weni to pick him up and he was gone," Davis said. "He has not been seen since." Keeler had told deputies that he and his wife were hitchhiking to Asheville last month to see their two children, who hail been placet! in foster care prior to her disappear ance. When ihey stopped at a bik ers' bar in Charlotte, his wife left him. Keeler said, so he returned to Brunswick County. Ms. Keeler had an alcohol prob lem and had entered treatment cen ters before At the p. ess conference. Gore would not discuss possible motives for the murder. "I think they had a history of a very volatile relation ship," he added. Detective Nancy Simpson said she became worried that something had happened to Ms. Keeler when she hail tailed to call her son on his birthday. Also, officers could not find a bikers' bar in Charlotte matching Keeler's description, she said. Neighbors told detectives that on Aug. 17, they heard about nine gun shots and screams coming from the residence, both before and after dark. The next morning. Keeler re portedly went to the home of 1 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRUNSWICK jfcBEACON i POST OFFICE BOX 2558 | SHALLOTTE. NORTH CAROLINA 28459 l NOTICE: Reliable or consistent delivery cannot be guaranteed since this newspaper must rely on the U.S. Postal Service for delivery. We can only guarantee that your newspaper will be submitted to the post office In Shallotte on Wednesday of the week of publication, In time for dispatch to out-of-town addresses that day. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. Citizen In Brunswick County J6 30 J5 30 N C Sales Tax 38 32 Postage Cnarge 3 68 3 68 TOTAL *10.36 9.30 Elsewhere In North Carolina J6 30 j5 30 N C Sales Tax .38 32 Postage Charge 8 18 8 18 TOTAL 14.86 13.80 Outside North Carolina J6 30 j5 30 Postage Charge 9 55 9 65 TOTAL 15.95 14.95 Complete And Return To Above Address Name Address City, State Z'P Dorsey Parker, a neighbor, to bor row a shovel, saying he had to bury his cat. This evidence was presented to Magistrate Cheryl Hughes last Thursday as evidence in obtaining a search warrant lor the Keeler resi dence. While being interviewed, Keeler took Ll Marlowe to a spot w here he said he hail buried the cat. The de tective also seized a small board Irom a back porch that appeared to have blood stains, which Keeler said came Irom a cat that had a mis carriage. "ll was cat blood," said Davis, who received the crime report on the blotxl test last week. Officers seized some clothing, sola ami parts ol a mattress Irom the home, according to the search war rant. Investigators are also trying to find a living room carpet that had been ripped from the floor ol the home, said Davis. Keeler is originally from Saint Paul. Minn., and has served in the U.S. Marines while in Florida, where he still has some relatives, said Davis. He is white, 5 feel 7 inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds, with ha/el eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He has two tattoos, a tiger on his right arm and the word "Tininty" on his left arm. Oyster Festival Slated For October 18-19 (Continued From Page 1-A) Contest" of 1991 starts at 2 p.m., with no entry fee. Sign-up is possi ble until shortly before storytellers begin spinning their 10-minute tall tales on center stage. With Cecelia Gore as this year's emcee, the con test is again sponsored by the Brunswick County Veterans Service Office and TJ.'s Electric. At 5 p.m. novice and professional oyster shuckcrs alike pick up their knives for the official North Carolina Oyster Shucking Contest, sponsored by Burger King of Shallotte. The winner will advance to national competition at the 1992 St. Mary's County Oyster Festival in Lconardtown, Md. Instead of making a bid to keep her state title another year, reigning suite champion and former national grand champion Cathy Carlisle of Brunswick County will be compet ing Oct. 19 at the national event. A mobile telephone hook-up Saturday evening will apprise local festival goers of her progress in the wom en's preliminary competition in Maryland. Thai leaves the field wide open lor past competitors and newcomers to claim cash prizes and a title. Contestants shuck 24 raw oysters against the clock, with attractive ness ol the completed tray a major factor in judging. There is no lee to enter the competition: however shuckers provide their own gloves and knives. Information is available from the chamber; shuckers can sign up at the south end ol the stage until 4:30 p.m. Saturday. When Contest Chairman Dean Walters names a new state shucking champion, said Dameron. "the festi val is over." Lincoln Primary PTA Slates Fest Lincoln Primary School PTA holds its annual fall festival from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 7 in the sch(x>l gymnasium at Leland. Food, games and fun will be of fered, said Cindy Collins, spokes man. Tickets are 20 cents, with pro ceeds to be used for purchase of supplemental materials and equip ment. Holden Beach Officials Defend Room Tax Record I?Y IMH'C; KlUTKK llolden Beach officials defended Ihc town's pas i usage of occupancy ut\ revenues at a workshop Tuesday and invited a disgruntled group ol residents to purtieipate in next year's budgeting process. A liandlui ol real estate develop ers and residents questioned whether the town has been spending iLs accommodations tax legally and said methods ol accounting lor those expenditures should be un proved. Tow n Manager Gary Parker, w ho conducted the workshop with audi tor Menton Padgett, said the town has spent the money legally in the past, even though it might not have been spent the way some people wanted it spent. To supjwirt lus legal opinion. Parker handed out a letter from Robert P. Ilagcmann. assistant gen eral counsel with the N.C. League of Municipalities. Ilagcmann said the town's 1991 92 budget allocations in the occu pancy lax fund are appropriate and comply with the 1988 state legisla tion that gave Holden Beach the au thority to collect the room tax. The town allocated S60.000 for police salaries, S5(),(XX) for trash pickup. $40,000 for administration salaries, S20.000 for debt service on public buildings, S10.000 for the lire department contract, S8.000 for beach patrol salaries and S7,(MX) lor gas, oil and tires. The law says occupancy tax funds cannot be used for services normally provided by the town un less they promote tourism and en hance the ability of the town to pro vide for tourists. Parker, who admitted the legisla tion is open to interpretation, said he believes any services provided by the town can be supported with occupancy tax money because all services help attract tourists. However, several people in i)iv audiencc said the (own shouldn't use the money to pay lor services the town was providing before n started collecting occupancy tax in 19X9. Jim Griffin, a real estate develop cr. said the town is only using the room t.i\ money to augment proper iv taxes anil other general lund rev enues. "I don't think that's the spirit o| the law." Mo said the money should be used to attract tourists and to pay lor services and facilities that arc not normally provided to residents. Alan Holdcn, whose business rents cottages ami collects occupan cy tax lor the town, said he wants to Iv able to show renters where their money is being spent. Holdcn saul the rixtm tax has been used as a "slush fund" or "grab barrel" in the past to pay for what ever services the general fund couldn't cover. Other people in the audience wcre concerned about how the town has been accounting for the occu pancy tax fund. Harold Steorts, a residents and retired auditor, suggested the town ask the state Attorney General lor a legal interpretation tit the occupan cy tax legislation. Allan Dameron agreed. He said the town only received one legal opinion from the League of Municipalities. Parker said the town could get le gal opinions "from here to eternity" but wouldn't find an attorney who would say the town sjvni the mon ey illegally. The town manager encouraged people unhappy with lite way the money has been spent to participate in tlte budget process next spring. "What we're getting into here is an after-the-fact argument..." he said. "Don't beat us about the head for this year and the prior years." West Brunswick Sets Open House The suit dI West Brunswick High School at Shalloltc is encourag ing parents to attend an open house Tuesday, Oct. X. starting at 7:30 p.m. in the school gym. Alter a brief general meeting, parents will follow an abbreviated school schedule for approximately one hour, a news release indicated. Teachers will be on duty to meet with parents, arrange conferences and answer questions. For more information contact the school administration at 754-4338. Deadline Nears To Enter Crafts Entries for the arts and traits show at the N.C. Festival by the Sea at lloldcn Beach will be accepted until Oct. IS. The festival will be held Oct. 26 and 27 at Holden Beach, with activ ities centered under the bridge. Jim Lowell, arts and crafts show chairman, estimates 120 to 150 ex hibitors. "We've got about 100 entered so far, so things are Uxiking good," he said last week. Those include 20 booths re served for lixxl or drink sales and booked against an earlier deadline. The entry fee to reserve an arts and crafts booth is S25, plus another S5 for electrical lux>k-up. Exhibitors will display assorted items that include handblown glass, paintings, jewelry and woodcrafts. Show hours will he 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday anil Sunday. Lowell is the contact lor those interested in exhibiting. He can be reached at L. Bwkworm, 842-7380. Expect Warm Days And Cool Nights Temperatures are expected to fall in the normal range over the next few days as October comes to the South Brunswick Islands, with rain fall a little above normal. Jackson Canady, a weather watcher at Shallotte Point, said he expccts temperatures to average from around 60 degrees at night to around 80 degrees during the day time, with about three-quarters inch of rainfall. For the period Sept. 24 through 30th, he recorded a maximum high of 87 degrees Sept. 25. The mini mum nightly low of 53 degrees oc curred on both the 28th and 29th. Canady recorded an average dai ly high of 82 degrees and an aver age nightly low of 61 degrees, about normal for this time of year. 1 ROBIN'S SWEET SHOPPE THIS V/EEK'S SPECIAL Lemon Meringue Pie ^ISbOO Reg S6.00 SPECIAL GOOD THRU OCT. 5 Tues.-Sat. 8 AM-6 PM 579-0578 h'.VY 179 -OCEAN ISlE ??Tu'mws, Disney Characters in Ceramic Collectibles CAUSEWAY ^LAZA ? HOLDEN BEACH 64 JVH - STAff PHOTO BY DOUG HUHM SGT. WENDELL BENNETT of the Brunswick County Sheriff's Deportment checks o vehicle at a roadblock on N.C. / 79 west of Calabash following the bonk robbery Thursday. Search Continues For Bank Robbers (Continued From Page 1 -A ) Seven olficcrs stayed on the scene until after dark and searched woods in the general vicinity of the hank, Marlow said. Although only two men entered the hank, Peters said "there is a pos sibility Unit others were involved, hut we don't know that for sure." Peters said there were security devices inside the hank "I can't comment any more than that right now." The bank robbery was the first in Calabash in nearly a year. A man armed with a handgun robbed the NCNB branch Scpt.2X. I WO. That was the only bank robbery in Brunswick County last year, but the fifth to occur in Calabash since June 19X1). The Security Savings & Loan branch was robbed three times, and United Carolina Bank's branch in Calabash was robbed once in WX9. Calabash doesn't have its own police department. I he town relies on the Brunswick County Sheriff's Department lor law enforcement. A I WO citizen survey indicated dial most Calabash residents don't think the town needs full-time po lice protection. However, 70 percent of the peo ple who live within a mile of the town and responded to the survey said they would support a police force. Anyone with information on the robhery can call the Wilmington FBI oft icc at 919-762-93X9.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 3, 1991, edition 1
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