The Christian County Grand Jury returned indictments for assault, robbery, and rape Friday afternoon.
38-year old Travis Scott Mayes of Cadiz for first-degree assault in connection to a shooting on February 17. Hopkinsville Police report Mayes shot Derrell Bateman in the abdomen on East 2nd Street. Batemen was flown to a Nashville hospital for treatment and identified Mayes as the shooter.
The grand jury indicted 36-year old Benjamin Wick Campbell of Allensville and 41-year old Jessica Ann Lancaster of Cadiz were both indicted for first-degree robbery and kidnapping. The charges stem from January 25 when Hopkinsville Police reported Campbell assaulted and kidnapped Mark Keene of Oak Grove at the Fairview Inn in Hopkinsville. Campbell allegedly got a knife and demanded Keene sit next to the wall when a second man reportedly entered the room and took his wallet containing his medical and social security cards, along with $75. Campbell, Lancaster, and the second man then got into an SUV and Keene was allegedly blindfolded and his hands were tied together. The arrest warrant states Campbell then drove to another location he and the other man got out, leaving Keene and Lancaster in the SUV. Keene later heard Lancaster snoring, freed his hands and then got into the driver’s seat and took off. At that time, the arrest report says Lancaster woke up and started screaming. She then jumped in the back seat and jumped out the rear passenger door of the SUV. Keene then to Piggly Wiggly and asked employees to call police.
Lancaster was arrested on February 9th when she contacted the Trigg County Sheriff’s Office and voluntarily turned herself in after she and Campbell were featured as Crime Stopper fugitives. Campbell was arrested on March 7.
41-year old Earl Osborne Caldwell III of Hopkinsville was indicted for four counts of third-degree rape, two counts of third-degree sodomy, first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, two counts of illegal sexual activity victim under 18, and trafficking cocaine. According to the arrest warrant, between January 7 and January 8, Caldwell allegedly arranged to meet two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, at the Rodeway Inn in Hopkinsville to engage in sexual intercourse. Police said he supplied them alcohol and one of the juvenile’s agreed to have sex in exchange for money on two separate occasions. Police report Caldwell also engaged in sodomy and sexual intercourse with the other juvenile, who was allegedly physically helpless due to being intoxicated and unable to consent.
The grand jury indicted 37-year old Tiffany Diana Morris of Pembroke for two counts of second-degree criminal abuse child under 12 years of age, alcohol intoxication and third-degree terroristic threatening. On February 6, Hopkinsville Police say Morris physically assaulted her adult son while he was driving with her and her children in the vehicle. Morris then reportedly got out of a vehicle taking an infant in a car seat and a toddler and then started walking down the road in the cold and snowy weather. When officers arrived they stated she was unsteady on her feet and under the influence of alcoholic beverages. When she was arrested, police said she started screaming profanities and racial slurs while trying to spit on the officer and threatening to shoot him.
The grand jury also returned a no-true bill and order of release for theft charges lodged against Nathan Berry after it was determined there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.