On January 2, 2010, at 9:50pm, 46 year old Curtis Clardy was shot in front of his home in Cedar Bluff, Mississippi, by Jeremy Barnhill (early 20s), the man who had been harrassing Curtis and his family since November.
Despite: threatening text messages, phone calls, repeated drive-bys (by both Jeremy and members of Jeremy's family), and a witness at the scene, West Point law enforcement has chosen not to arrest Jeremy Barnhill on the grounds that he "will stay close" (CCSO Chief Deputy Eddie Scott.) A neighboring county newspaper, The Dispatch, quoted CCSO Eddie Scott as saying, "I'm not worried about arresting [Barnhill.]"
Jeremy Barnhill is close friends with the Clay County Sherrif's son and it is speculated that this may be the reason why he was allowed to murder Curtis, in front of Curtis' home, in front of witnesses, and after threats insinuatiing violent action (the Clay County Sheriff's department has this evidence.) The relationship between Curtis and Jeremy Barnhill was that Curtis was dating his sister.
Why Jeremy Barnhill was not retained for pre-meditated murder is a mystery, as is the decision by the local paper (the Daily Times Leader) not to publish a story about the incident.
Where do we go from here, when local law enforcement will not protect the public from a man who has commited murder, and local press have not even alerted the public to the incident? We must turn to the public then, in hopes that thier voice may be strong enough to be heard by higher authorities and press outside the local arena. It is up to us to make sure correct action is taken.
