Jack Mac Girdner, 73, and twins Jordan and Taylor DeJerinett, 9
Deandra Marquis Lee
June 9, 2012
Triple homicide suspect captured in Selma
SELMA, AL (WSFA) - Lowndes County triple homicide suspect Deandra Marquis Lee has been captured in Selma according to the Selma Police Department.
Lee was captured just after 11 a.m. at the Merrimac Apartment Complex on Medical Center Parkway. Authorities say Lee did not attempt to resist arrest.
Selma Police say a concerned citizen called Selma Police Chief William Riley, who, in turn, notified the ABI and the U.S. Marshals. Witnesses say within minutes at least a dozen SWAT team members surrounded the apartment complex off of Hwy. 80.
Agents made their move at 11 a.m. using a neighbor's apartment to help map out where Lee might be inside the building. Agents broke down the door and threw in a "flashbang" surprising Lee to the point that he put up no resistance.
Both Lee and the female he was staying with in that apartment were apprehended. That woman was also taken in to custody but it's not clear at this point who she is or if she'll face any charges.
Lee was wanted for the deaths of 9-year-old twins Jordan and Taylor DeJerinett and their 73-year-old caretaker Jack Mac Girdner. The victims' bodies were discovered Tuesday dumped along Alabama Highway 21. They were believed to have been taken from the Lake Ridge Road area of Hope Hull. Authorities confirm that all three sustained gunshot wounds.
Girdner's 1988 Mercedes Benz was also listed missing at the same time as the victims. It was discovered in the Minter Community of Dallas County with all four doors removed.
A total of $10,000 in rewards were offered for the information leading to the capture and conviction of Lee.
Lee was immediately taken from Selma to ABI headquarters in Montgomery. Following interrogation he will be taken to Lowndes County.
The funeral for Jordan and Taylor DeJerinett has been scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. at the Freewill Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery.
The ABI released this statement at 5 p.m. regarding Lee's arrest:
The Alabama Bureau of Investigation, a division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, announces that Deandra Marquis Lee, 22, was arrested for murder at approximately 11 a.m. today in Selma.
ABI Chief Neil Tew credited the capture of this fugitive to a cooperative effort of numerous law enforcement agencies. Tew went on to acknowledge significant assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Lowndes County Sheriff's Department, Lowndes County District Attorney's Office, Selma Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff's Department and Montgomery Police Department.
Through investigative leads, tips from the public and collaborative resource sharing among law enforcement partners, credible information was developed leading to Lee's location, an apartment complex near Vaughn Medical Center in Selma. Earlier today, law enforcement officers converged on the scene and evacuated residents in the respective apartment building. Authorities attempted to initiate communication with occupants of the apartment without success.
After an Alabama State Trooper tactical team made entry into the apartment, the team immediately took Lee into custody. He then was transported to ABI Headquarters in Montgomery. Lee is charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of 9-year-old twins Jordan and Taylor Dejerinett of Montgomery and their 73-year-old caregiver, Jack Mac Girdner of Hope Hull.
Col. Hugh B. McCall, the director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, said this arrest sends a clear and strong message: "Alabama -- both law enforcement agencies and the public -- will not tolerate such heinous crimes in our society. We will pursue tirelessly until capture."
http://www.wsfa.com/story/18745278/t...tured-in-selma
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