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Murder

Police Charge Two Men with First-Degree Robbery and Kidnapping in Connection with Wellborn Elementary Teacher's Death

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Police have arrested and charged two Calhoun County men, Tyrone Thompson and Nicholas Smith, in connection with the homicide of Wellborn Elementary School teacher Kevin Thompson. A preliminary investigation suggests that Smith and Thompson forced Kevin Thompson to withdraw cash from banks in Anniston and Jacksonville before allegedly killing him in Cherokee County. The victim's body was found alongside U.S. 278 in Cherokee County after an hours-long search on Friday evening. Both suspects are being held on $100,000 cash bonds each.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tyrone Thompson, a childhood friend of Kevin Thompson's, was arrested for allegedly using Kevin Thompson's ATM card at various banks around Jacksonville and Anniston.
  • Nicholas Smith, who was in custody at the Clayton County Jail in Georgia, will be extradited to Calhoun County to face charges of capital murder and kidnapping.
  • The suspects allegedly forced Kevin Thompson to withdraw cash from banks in Anniston and Jacksonville before killing him in Cherokee County.
  • The victim's body was found alongside U.S. 278 in Cherokee County after a search lasting several hours on Friday evening.
  • Kevin Thompson's mother, Frances Curry, reported him missing to Jacksonville police around 9 a.m. on Thursday after Wellborn Elementary officials notified Anniston police that he had not shown up for work.
  • Both suspects have been arrested and charged with robbery before.

Statistics:

  • The suspects are being held on $100,000 cash bonds each.
  • The search for Kevin Thompson's body lasted around 5 hours on Friday evening.
  • The victim's body was found alongside U.S. 278 in Cherokee County.
  • The suspects allegedly withdrew an unknown amount of money from Kevin Thompson's bank accounts.
  • Kevin Thompson's age was 29 at the time of his death.
  • The suspects were arrested before for robbery.

Sources:

  • The Anniston Star, Copyright (c) 2011, Ala.
  • McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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