|
Lake Brownwood Man Shot and Killed in Coleman Residence
Coleman
Police ended 2007 with a murder investigation, the first one since
February 10, 2007 when a man was stabbed at a Coleman night club and
later died. According to Coleman Police, it started with a 911 call at
1:34 a.m. Monday, December 31, from Sandra Harmes who said she had been
shot at a residence at 1101 North Neches Street which is on the north
side of Coleman. Police arrived to find Harmes wounded and James W.
Smith, 68, of Lake Brownwood, dead.
Jimmie
Hobbs, Coleman County Judge, ordered an autopsy in Dallas. Harmes was
taken to Coleman County Medical Center and later airlifted to a San
Angelo hospital. As the investigation unfolded Monday morning, police
say they developed a "person of interest" which led them to his
residence at 603 West Liveoak Street, just before noon. Police were
joined by the Coleman County Sheriff's Department and surrounded the
apartment, making telephone contact with the man. Police tell
colemannews.com they became concerned about the man's welfare and made
the decision to enter the residence. He was taken, without incident,
by ambulance to Coleman County Medical Center and later transferred to
an Abilene hospital.
Funeral services for James. W. Smith were held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday,
January 2, at the Coleman City Cemetery Pavilion, directed by Stevens
Funeral Home.
(Colemannews.com, January 1, 2008.)
James W. Smith, 68
James W. Smith, of Lake Brownwood, died Monday, December 31, 2007 in Coleman. Graveside funeral
service will be held 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at Coleman
City Cemetery Pavilion with Joe Hailey officiating. Services are under
the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.
James W. Smith
was born December 23, 1939 in Coleman County, Texas, a son of James
Cecil Smith and Myrtle Jo Trull Smith. He grew up in Coleman and
attended school at Centennial and Coleman. In 1987 he married Donna
Jean Davis and moved to Lake Brownwood that year. He had previously
lived in Coleman. He was an oilfield consultant and a Baptist.
Survivors include
his wife, Donna Smith of Lake Brownwood; one son, Michael and wife
Synda Smith of Coleman; two daughters, Cynthia and husband Ted Merryman
of Clyde and Sonya and Mike Lee of China Springs; one step-son, Rick
and wife Lori Rogers of Carlsbad, New Mexico; two sisters, Jo Chapman of
Coleman and Ann and husband John Kinsey of Venus; one brother, Jerry
and wife Sandra Smith of Schulenburg; four grandchildren; two
step-grandchildren; one great-grandson; five step-great grandchildren;
an aunt, Louise Smith of Coleman.
Memorials may be made to the donor's favorite charity.
(Coleman
Chronicle and Democrat-Voice, Coleman, Texas, January x, 2007, page x.)
Prime Suspect Named in Coleman Murder
The
Coleman Police Department has released the name of their prime suspect
in a murder which happened in Coleman on Monday, December 31. Although
charges have not been filed, Edward Mack Kile, 66, of Coleman, is
suspected of shooting and killing James W. Smith, 68, of Lake Brownwood
in the residence of Sandra Harmes at 1101 N. Neches in Coleman. Harmes
was shot in the neck area and is recovering in a San Angelo hospital,
said Les Cogdill, Detective Sergeant of the Coleman Police Department.
According to Cogdill, Kile is still hospitalized in Abilene after he
tried to harm himself at his residence on West Liveoak at noon Monday,
December 31st. Police and sheriff's officers intervened. He was taken
by ambulance to Coleman County Medical Center before being transferred
to Abilene. Cogdill said police have not located the weapon used as of
yet and said their investigation is ongoing.
(Colemannews.com, January 2, 2008.)
Murder Suspect Arraigned in Coleman, Weapon Found
The
man accused in the murder of James W. Smith was formally charged
Thursday afternoon with 1st Degree Murder and 2nd Degree Aggravated
Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Edward Mack Kile, 66, of Coleman, was released from Hendrick Medical
Center into the custody of Taylor County deputies Thursday who turned
him over to Les Cogdill, Coleman Police Detective Sergeant. Cogdill took Kile before Nance Campbell, Coleman County Justice of the Peace, at 1:20 p.m. in the Coleman County Courthouse. Campbell set bond at $100,000 on the murder
charge and $50,000 on the aggravated assault charge. Kile was then
placed in the Coleman County Jail.
Coleman County Sheriff Deputy, Vickie Plummer, is credited with
locating the murder weapon police believe Kile allegedly used to shoot
and kill James W. Smith and wound Sandra Harmes. Harmes continues to
recover in a San Angelo hospital. Deputy Plummer found the weapon, a .22 rifle, in the 1300 Block of
Peach Street in west Coleman around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Cogdill said. The
gun will be sent to Austin for ballistic tests, Cogdill said.
(Colemannews.com, January 3, 2008.)
|
James W. Smith
|