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Thieves break
into Cedar Creek Pharmacy
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
SEVEN POINTS–Police are investigating the bold theft of drugs from the Cedar Creek
Pharmacy early Tuesday.
Shortly after midnight, the Seven Points pharmacy’s surveillance cameras recorded two
figures entering the storeroom and removing certain products from the shelves.
The figures were wearing black hoods, gloves and trench coats, proprietor Don Woody told
The Monitor.
They got in through holes they made in the roof, at least five of them.
The video recording suggests they broke in at about 12:46 a.m., Detective James
“Roscoe” Thompson said.
The first holes were aimed at disarming the store’s alarm system. The phone system
was also destroyed.
The thieves took three drugs – Zantec, Sudafed and hydrocodone, compounds used in the
manufacture of methamphetamine, Thompson said.
Thursday, Woody was still conducting an in-depth inventory and didn’t have a dollar
value of his stolen inventory. He had the roof repaired by Wednesday, and the security
system restored Thursday.
“I’m thinking of putting lights on the roof,” he added.
The thieves likely used the same type of equipment to break in the roof as used at the
East Cedar Creek utility district office, and a break-in at David’s in Kaufman
recently.
“We have some leads,” Thompson said.
Lowered flags honor civil rights leader
Dorothy Height
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–President Barack Obama ordered flags at half staff Thursday to honor
civil rights activist Dorothy Height, who died last week at the age of 98.
The President delivered the eulogy at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., calling
her life “an unambiguous record of righteous work.”
Besides Obama, members of congress, Jesse Jackson, actor Bill Cosby and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton were among those who packed the church to pay their respects.
Height, who was president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) at the
time of her death, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the
Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.
A key figure throughout the civil rights movement, Height headed the NCNW from 1957 to
1998, fighting for housing programs and leading voter registration drives, according to
the group’s website.
She was on stage at the 1963 March on Washington when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered
his “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Richmond, Va., born activist fought to prevent lynching, desegregate the armed forces,
reform the criminal justice system and allow free access to public accommodations,
according to a statement released upon her death by Howard University Hospital
spokesperson Ron Harris.
Mays conviction upheld
Death penalty set in 2007 killing of two deputies
Monitor Staff Reports
ATHENS–A state appellate court upheld the conviction of Randall Wayne Mays, 49,
Wednesday.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals confirmed a May 13, 2008, capital murder conviction
and death sentence by lethal injection, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Mays was charged with the May 17, 2007, shooting deaths of two Henderson County peace
officers – Det. Paul Steven Habelt, 63, from Eustace, a 13-year veteran with the
county, serving in law enforcement a total of 40 years, and deputy Tony Price Ogburn, 61,
of Log Cabin, a 10-year veteran, the last five years with Henderson County.
The officers were the first to respond to a domestic disturbance reported by one of
Mays’ neighbors on Crawfish Ranch Road near Payne Springs.
Deputy Kevin Harris was also shot during the altercation and recovered from his injury.
Upon hearing news of the court ruling, Henderson County first assistant District Attorney
Mark Hall said he was happy with the outcome and applauded the work of Wes Mau and the
Texas Attorney General’s Office, who successfully tried the appeal on the
county’s behalf and assisted the DA in prosecuting the case.
Hall expects Mays to appear before a court in Henderson County to set the date of his
execution. “We are definitely pleased with today’s (Wednesday’s)
decision,” Hall told the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
The appeal was based on “improper jury instructions from the trial judge” –
392nd District Judge Carter Tarrance.
Other arguments pointed to the sufficiency of evidence and what the defense said were
improper remarks to jurors by prosecutors during the punishment phase of closing
arguments.
During the initial trial, Mau argued that Mays knew what he was doing when he picked up a
.30-06 rifle and began firing, knowing that his actions could result in the death of
another person.
Mau also contended the defense’s claim that Mays was mentally ill and suffering a
delusional episode during the incident was unfounded.
“He set his sights on Tony Ogburn and shot him dead. He blew his head off,” he
said. “When he is shot and can’t fight anymore, does he think the officers are
there to kill him? No, he does not, because he gives up to the officers,” he said
during the trial.
Fallen deputies Habelt and Ogburn have not been forgotten, Hall said.
“The loss of Tony and Paul is ever present with everyone here. I can say that
everyone is probably relieved about the opinion and believe that justice was served,”
he said. |