Lisa and Jerry Damron stopped for speeding with a body in the van

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i26.tinypic.com/6t1s3d.jpgWhen a Wythe County sheriff's deputy pulled over a speeding van on Interstate 77 early Thursday, the evidence against a North Carolina husband and wife quickly escalated from speeding to driving under the influence to a dead body behind the backseat.

Deputies found the body of an unidentified woman stuffed behind the back seat of the 2002 Ford Astro van that Lisa Church Damron, 31, and Jerry Wayne Damron, 42, were traveling in.

The woman had been shot multiple times and was wrapped in a blanket.

Officers also found three pistols in the van.

Wythe County Sheriff Douglas King said the unidentified woman likely was killed in Taylorsville, N.C., and his office is working with the Taylorsville Police Department on the investigation. King said he expected Taylorsville police to charge the couple in relation to the woman's death by Thursday evening.

"They were in Wythe County no more than five minutes," King said Thursday. "They came to the wrong place. You're drunk, speeding and you've got a dead body in the back of your van. That's certainly not rocket science."
[...]

Wythe County deputies stopped the van, which had North Carolina tags, about 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the 33 mile marker of Interstate 77.

Authorities said the van was traveling 85 mph in a 65 mph zone. Deputies said they noticed an odor of alcohol coming from the woman driving the van, and the passenger also appeared to be under the influence. Both were arrested, and as deputies prepared the vehicle to be towed just after 9 a.m., they found the body and the guns.

Jerry Wayne Damron faced criminal charges in October after his 8-year-old son died and four other children were critically injured in a single-car wreck in the Dudley Shoals area of Caldwell County. Six children between the ages of 2 and 10, and Damron's wife, were in the car when it spun out of control and plowed into a tree.http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2009/jul/10/grim-discovery-traffic-stop-leads-body-van/news/
Plenty of comments at that link.

From the October accident:
http://i27.tinypic.com/2lsto91.jpg http://i30.tinypic.com/90bx3c.jpg
Jerry Wayne Damron is shown following the 2008 crash that killed his 8-year-old son
and critically injured four other children in Hickory, N.C.The single vehicle wreck happened Friday on Morris Creek Road between N.C. 90 and Dudley Shoals Road.

Hauston Wayne Damron, 9, was killed.

Jerry Wayne Damron, 42, was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving.
[...]

Williams said the Damrons had been visiting family in Catawba County and were headed home when Jerry Wayne Damron lost control of the van and crashed into a tree.

The children's mother, Lisa Church Damron, 31, was in the van's front passenger seat during the crash. She was taken to Frye Regional Medical Center where she was treated and released. She may face criminal neglect charges depending on the results of the ongoing investigation, Williams said.

There were six children in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Jerry Eugene Damron, 7, was treated and released at Frye Regional Medical Center.

Harley Hunter Damron, 1, Destiny Dawn Damron, 2, Mary Ann Damron, 3, and Deanna Maxine Damron, 5, are in critical condition at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, said Williams adding, "I just called the hospital and a nurse said the children are doing better. They are improving."http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2008/oct/01/still-critical/

I am off to see if I can find out more on the dead person or the Damron kids...

[Amazon]

Gods, just shoot them now.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Couldn't find anything on the identity or the woman or on the 2008 crash case.
http://i25.tinypic.com/z4xl2.jpg
Hauston Wayne Damron, 9, died Friday, September 26, 2008 in Caldwell County from injuries received in an automobile accident. He was born April 4, 1999 in Iredell County to Jerry Wayne Damron and Lisa Ann Church Damron. He was a third grade student at Ellendale Elementary School.... Survivors in addition to his parents include six sisters, Deanna Maxine Damron, Mary Ann Damron, Destiny Dawn Damron all of the home, Tonya Damron of Bassett, VA, Jessica Renee Esponesa of NC and Toshua Coley of Taylorsville; two brothers, Jerry J. D.. Damron and Harley Hunter Damron both of the home;...http://www.adamsfunerals.com/obituaries.php?id=361&op=view

It looks like all the parents did was drink and have sex. The death of their son didn't even stop the drinking. I doubt any jail time will. Pathetic. I hope they took all those kids away long before now.

[mommacrazy30]

Jerry Wayne Damron faced criminal charges in October after his 8-year-old son died and four other children were critically injured in a single-car wreck in the Dudley Shoals area of Caldwell County. Six children between the ages of 2 and 10, and Damron's wife, were in the car when it spun out of control and plowed into a tree.

well. i guess killing you own child doesn't get you in that much trouble....:questionmark:

[Misskittychaos]

I'm sorry if I was responsible for KILLING someone, let alone my own child, I don't think I could keep going on with life. I certainly couldn't keep up the activities that resulting in the accident that took one of my children's lives and injured the others.

Also WTF, who drives around (breaking additional laws to boot) with a murder victim in the back?

These two aren't all there and I hope this will the last life they are allowed to ruin.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

[...]
Wythe County Sheriff Doug King identified the woman today as Kelly Lynette Culley, 42, of Taylorsville, N.C.

Police have obtained warrants charging Lisa Church Damron, 31, and her husband, 42-year-old Jerry Wayne Damron, with the woman's murder
[...]

Jones said kidnapping charges could also be filed because police have reason to believe the woman was still alive when she was placed in the back of the Damrons' Ford Aerostar van.
[...]

Jones said the woman knew the Damrons and frequently visited their home in Taylorsville. In fact, he said, a search of her home turned up a pamphlet she had received after apparently attending the funeral of one of the Damrons' children.

"They apparently, up until this incident, were friends," he said. He said there were signs of a struggle in the Damrons' home, and police believe an argument led to the shooting there.
[...]

Jerry Damron was charged with felony assault and battery of a police officer for assaulting an officer as he was placed in lockup, King said.http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/breaking/wb/211359

[Unamused Cat]

The first rule of transporting somebody you just killed:

Don't attract the attention of cops.

Bah!

[Thinkgoat]

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/exposure/full/2009/07/11/493_hdr-damron-neighbors.jpg

Picture Caption:
Maria Rodriguez and Victor Sotelo look toward the home surrounded by crime scene tape where Jerry Wayne Damron and his wife, Lisa Church Damron, live in Taylorsville.

TAYLORSVILLE - A Taylorsville man charged with murdering a woman and transporting her corpse to Virginia scared one neighbor and gave another "the creeps."

Details in the investigation of Jerry and Lisa Damron were revealed by authorities about the events leading to the couple's arrest on Interstate 77 in Wythe County, Va.

Sheriff's deputies stopped the van Thursday morning and charged Lisa Church Damron, 31, of 373 Sixth St., SW, Taylorsville, with driving under the influence. Her husband, Jerry Wayne Damron, 42, also was arrested.

They now face first-degree murder charges in Alexander County. In Wythe County, the Damrons face charges of felony transporting a dead body with malicious intent to prevent detection of an unlawful act.

Lisa Damron was charged with DUI and reckless driving.

Jerry Damron was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, three charges of having a concealed weapon, and a count of felony assault on a police officer that occurred while he was being jailed.

The Damrons are being held without bond.

During the traffic stop, deputies saw a large red and brown stain on the back seat and discovered a woman's body in the van's cargo area. Police said she had been shot multiple times. She was later identified as Kelly Ross Lynette Culley, 42, of Taylorsville.

Investigators learned Friday that Culley was killed in the Damrons' home early Thursday morning, according to a statement released by Detective Sgt. Lisa Johnson of the Taylorsville Police Department.

According to a statement accompanying the warrant, Virginia investigators questioned Lisa Damron after her arrest and she identified the dead woman.

She said Culley had been dropped off at the Damrons' home in the early morning hours Thursday and got into an argument with her husband, authorities said.

Investigators have not said what sparked the argument.

Lisa Damron said she went outside when her husband and Culley began pushing each other.

"She then heard between three and four shots from a gun," according to the search warrant. "When she went back into the house, Jerry told her Kelly was dead and they needed to get rid of the body in West Virginia," according to Lisa Damron's statement.

The Damrons then wrapped Culley's body in a blanket and loaded it into the green 2002 Ford Windstar and headed north, according to the search warrant. The couple managed to drive 100 miles north on I-77 toward West Virginia before they were stopped by deputies for driving 85 mph and erratically, according to Virginia authorities.

During the search of the couple's Taylorsville home, investigators found blood stains throughout the house and took samples from the rug, walls, ceiling and furniture for evidence, according to the warrant.

They also confiscated two safes from the home, but their contents have not been released.

The Damrons had strained relationships with some of their neighbors.

Valerie Weathers has lived next door to the couple for about a month and had some friction with the couple, especially Jerry Damron.

Weathers said one of the reasons she chose to live there is that it had a concrete driveway and a basketball hoop where her sons could play.

But the Damrons complained about the noise, saying it was keeping them awake even when the teens played basketball in the afternoon, she said. It got to the point that Weathers refused to let her children play outside if the Damrons were at home.

"He just scared me," she said.

One day Jerry Damron showed Weathers photos of his children. He said they had been taken away by the Department of Social Services after a September crash that killed his 8-year-old son.

He told her he had been charged with the crime, but claimed another driver had caused the wreck.

Jerry Damron is charged with felony death by vehicle, DWI and careless and reckless driving in that incident.

Maria Rodriguez lives down the street from the Damrons and she is relieved they are in jail.

"He gave me the creeps," she said. "He's not right in the head."

She also knew the victim.

"She didn't deserve that," Rodriguez said. "Nobody should have that done to them."

Sgt. Brian Golden of the New Valley Regional Jail, where the couple is being held in Virginia said: "They'll have to face their charges in Virginia before they're extradited back to North Carolina."

http://www2.mcdowellnews.com/content/2009/jul/11/neighbors-discuss-couple-facing-murder-charges/

[Dakota Valkyrie]

...scared one neighbor and gave another "the creeps."
I don't even have to be his neighbor for him to scare me and give me the creeps.
...they had been taken away by the Department of Social Services after a September crash that killed his 8-year-old son.
YEA!!!!! Happy dances for everyone!

[Jaded]

Thinkgoat is featuring this fine couple on the front page....

http://www.dreamindemon.com/2009/07/12/jerry-and-lisa-damrons-extraordinary-adventure/

Thank you Dakota, and Thinkgoat! :hello: