Body uncovered
Published 12:00 am Monday, July 12, 2004
UNIONTOWN-An unidentified female was found dead in an overgrown patch of grass behind the Nite Cats Convenience Store on County Road 53 in Uniontown Friday.
Uniontown Police Chief Danny Rhodes confirmed only that the body was that of a female, saying more information would be available later.
It’s the third apparent homicide in Uniontown in three weeks.
The bodies of Kenneth Dixie and Lawrence Alvin Smith were found in a soybean field along the same road on June 19. Charlie Bennett has been indicted in those murders.
Friday, a three-block area was roped off with police caution tape and the smell of death was strong in the hot summer air. Members of the Uniontown Police Department including Rhodes, an agent from the ABI and Perry County Coroner George Pullom were on hand to secure the area and start searching for evidence.
Because of the extreme odor, those investigating the scene were masks over their mouth and nose.
Uniontown Mayor Phillip White, after hearing about the third death in less than three weeks in his city, said it was a sad day for his community.
Just a week ago during a church revival, White told residents here there would be more dead bodies found because people today don’t fear the laws anymore.
“Until the Justice Department does something to put these criminal s away, it will only continue to get worse,” White said, “We could put police officers on every corner, but that wouldn’t help either.”
The killings were very bad here back in 1994, he said. Being mayor for the past three and a half years, this is the worst it has been.
Two local residents, L.T. Washington and Tameka Strong voiced their frustrations about the recent string of killings in Uniontown.
“This has got to stop because my family doesn’t feel safe anymore in the city,” Washington said.
“This is starting to be an everyday thing in this city,” she said.
Strong agrees with Washington about not feeling safe in Uniontown, saying walking the streets at night has now turned into a game of chance.
“Something has to be done before there is no one left in the city,” Strong said.