News from January 12, 2006 issue




Caldwell men charged with murder
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against cousins Joseph E. Caraway, 23, and Dean A. Caraway, 39, both of Princeton, in connection with the death of Robert Lee Doris last month.

The Caraway cousins were indicted by a Caldwell County grand jury Monday afternoon on charges of murder and robbery.

Doris, 73, of the Fryer community in northern Caldwell County was found dead inside his home off Ky. 70 on Dec. 15, state police said. An autopsy showed he died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Ovey said that when Joseph Caraway was arrested Jan. 5 he had in his possession a .22-caliber revolver that belonged to Doris. According to Kentucky State Police, Caraway was initially arrested in a police road check near Fredonia on unrelated charges.

He and Dean Caraway are also alleged to have taken money from Doris.
Circuit Judge Bill Cunningham ordered the men held without bond at the Caldwell County Jail during a preliminary hearing earlier Monday. They are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

According to information in the Princeton Times-Leader newspaper, a vehicle believed to have been used in the murder was found last week in Dycusburg and was an important lead in the case. The vehicle has been impounded and sent to the police criminal laboratory in Frankfort for analysis.

Kentucky State Police are not saying whether they believe the Caraways are suspected in another break-in and assault in Fredonia that left Larry Yancy shot in the leg. Yancy awoke to noises in his garage and confronted the intruders. He exchanged gunfire with one of two masked men before they fled his home. Although authorities are unsure if the two cases are linked, they are not ruling it out at this point.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

Former athlete sues coach, school system
A former football player who alleges that he was slapped by a coach in 2004 has filed a civil lawsuit in Crittenden Circuit Court seeking monetary damages from the coach and the school system.

Shawnte Moss, 19, who has since graduated from high school, filed action last week against Crittenden County Schools and Curtis Payne.

The incident occurred in September of 2004 on a team bus as the football players were going from the practice field near the National Guard Armory back to the high school dressing room on campus.

Although Moss brought criminal charges against Payne at the time of the alleged offense, a Crittenden District Court jury deadlocked upon hearing evidence in January 2005. The state chose not to retry the case.

Payne, 32, has since left Crittenden County Schools where he was a coach and teacher. He is now teaching and coaching in Indiana.

Samuel Hayward of Louisville is the attorney for Moss. In suit, Moss claims that the school system was "vicariously liable for the injuries and damages caused by the defendant Payne."

It says that the coach struck Moss with "gross negligence and without permission or provocation" and claims that Moss "suffered physical and mental pain and suffering, embarrassment and humiliation."

It asks for a jury trial and a reward to be determined by the jury.
The defendants have not officially responded to the lawsuit to tell their side of the story.

Local Lottery sales ranks 120th
On average, Crittenden Countians spend fewer dollars per year on Kentucky Lottery tickets than anyone else in the state.

Rep. Mike Cherry (D-Princeton) says that's a pretty good sign that people here are not getting too caught up in the gambling hype.

"I congratulate Crittenden County," he said. "Although the money spent on the Lottery goes to fund educational scholarships, that's not really the way those funds should be raised because so many people spend money on the Lottery and really can't afford it."

Kentucky Lottery tickets are sold at two locations in Crittenden County ­ Five Star convenience store and the Food Giant grocery.

On average, Crittenden County residents spend only $46 per person each year on Lottery purchases. That ranks 120th per capita in the state.

Ken Floyd, manager of Five Star, said he's surprised Crittenden ranks dead last in sales because Lottery purchases seem pretty steady there.

"We really sell a lot when the jackpot goes up to several million dollars," he said.
Kentucky Lottery Funds are used for merit- and needs-based scholarships that help Kentucky students attend college.

Still, Rev. Lucy Tedrick agrees with Cherry that the Lottery isn't the best way to send kids to school.

"Gambling is wrong," she said. "God wants us to be good stewards over what He gives us, including our mind, health and other resources. It's not wise to use our money on a game of chance when it could be put to so many better uses."

Tedrick thinks Crittenden ranks last in Lottery sales because it has a strong Christian community that steers people away from gambling.

In Kentucky, Todd County has the greatest per capita sales at $620 per person. Todd is a small county like Crittenden, but is also on the border with Tennessee, which until recently did not have a Lottery and drew countless sales from across the border.
Crittenden ranks 115th in total Lottery sales with $417,426 spent here last year.