COMMUNITY COLUMNISTS INSIDE!
THE Half of all local taxes pays for public safety
WEDNESDAY Dadeville pharmacies hit by burglars early Saturday
Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 June 29, 2016 Vol. 124, No. 130 www.alexcityoutlook.com
INSIDE, PAGE 11.
Murder case headed to grand jury Witnesses say accused killer McDaniel confessed, claimed self-defense but said ‘I did Tallapoosa County a favor’ By MITCH SNEED Editor
Mitch Sneed / The Outlook
Attorney Davis Whittelsey, left, talks to his client Clate McDaniel as he prepares to leave after Tuesday’s preliminary hearing at the Tallapoosa County Courthouse in Dadeville.
Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office investigators say that accused killer Matthew Clate McDaniel admitted that he had shot and killed Norman Crayton in the early morning hours of Jan. 17, but said it was self-defense. Testimony at a preliminary hearing for the 33-year-old McDaniel shed light on the shooting death that has been one of the most talked about cases the area has seen in recent years.
At the end of the day, Judge Kim Taylor saw enough evidence to have the case bound over to the grand jury, but it was the statements attributed to McDaniel that created the most buzz. In a written statement that was signed by McDaniel and in testimony about what were called “spontaneous statements” after he was stopped when he was identified as a person of interest in Crayton’s shooting death, McDaniel never denied shooting Crayton. Assistant District Attorney Michael Weldon read a statement
STAYING AFLOAT
Marine patrol keeps lake safe despite staff shortages
Assault trial for mayor and wife set for today STAFF REPORT TPI Staff
By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Safety has always been in the hands of boaters when they take to the waters. Today it is even more so with the lack of state funding for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division. The lack of funding has left Lake Martin with no officers patrolling its waters at times. This is despite the fact that Wind Creek State Park is the district headquarters for Marine Patrol. “We are severely under staffed,” ALEA Marine Patrol Lt. Mark Fuller said Saturday while patrolling Lake Martin near Chimney Rock. “Lake Martin is in the Central District. The district includes 32 counties. We currently have six troopers to work the waterways in those 32 counties. That is 14 bodies of water to cover.” Fuller started with the Marine Patrol in 1991 and remembers many more officers on Lake Martin. “I can remember having five troopers on the lake,” Fuller said from a boat that has been in operation since the 1980s. “We used to patrol the lake in sectors.” Since that time, boat traffic and boat sales have increased on the lake and the boats help fund the marine patrol division, but the number of troopers to patrol has gone down. “We currently have one full time trooper assigned
that Lt. Bill Hough said he took from McDaniel after he was read his rights just hours after Crayton’s partially clothed body was found on hunting acreage on Barrons Bridge Road near Dadeville. The statement details a day where Crayton and McDaniel had worked most of the day, then went to dinner at Niffers and then to Col Tom’s Tavern for a few drinks. The statement indicated that McDaniel had seven beers and had gone outside to his truck at about 2 a.m., not because he was drunk, but because See MCDANIEL • Page 3
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
ALEA Marine Patrol Lt. Mark Fuller keeps a lookout for boaters operating improperly Saturday near Chimney Rock.
Fuller offers advice for safe holiday By CLIFF WILLIAMS Staff Writer
It happens every year. Boaters start their trek to the Kowaliga Basin to see the annual Fourth of July fireworks and most are prepared. Some will always wait to the last minute to arrive. “There are going to be a dozen or so boats that are going to arrive last,” Lt. Mark Fuller said. “They are going to go through an area where there are a couple thousand boats causing a hazardous wake, which is against the law.” Then there are the boats that try to
beat the traffic afterwards. “When the fireworks are almost finished you are going to have an influx of boat planed off trying to beat the traffic. It creates a dangerous situation.” Even though there have not been any boating fatalities in several years surrounding the Lake Martin tradition, it does not mean there have not been any incidents. “In the last couple years, we have not been flooded with calls after the fireworks,” Fuller said. “In years past, we have gotten calls from boaters stranded, taking on water or that See HOLIDAY • Page 11
Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw and his wife Laverne are scheduled for a 9 a.m. trial today at the Tallapoosa County Courthouse Annex in Alexander City, before Court Judge Clay Tinney. The Shaws were charged with third-degree assault following an April 25 physical altercation with Councilman Tony Goss after a council work session at City Hall. The fight occurred after the special called work session and meeting had adjourned due to the loss of control. Following the meeting, Shaw rushed around the table toward Goss as he stood up. Shaw then punched Goss in the side of the face and landed another punch as Goss retreated and started defending himself, throwing punches back at the mayor. Others, including the mayor’s wife, appeared to join in the rush toward Goss. City employees and others gathered at the meeting worked to break it up. Alexander City Police Chief Willie Robinson grabbed See TRIAL • Page 5
Wayward bear sighted in Chambers County By MITCH SNEED Editor
Residents of Chambers County are getting a taste of the 2016 Summer Bear Tour that captivated Tallapoosa County last week. Over the last two days, residents, as well as law enforcement officials, have reported seeing a lone black bear in various locations including residential areas See BEAR • Page 11
Kelli Smith / Special to The Outlook
The bear that visited Tallapoosa County last week has continued on the path projected by experts through Chambers County.
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
490.14 Reported on 6/28/16 @ 8 p.m.
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