33 year old Michael E. Johnson of Sparta, charged in the fatal shooting of another Sparta man in January, appeared in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday and entered a guilty plea to first degree murder. Judge Leon Burns,Jr. gave him a life prison sentence under a negotiated settlement with state prosecutors.
Johnson appeared before Judge Lillie Ann Sells last month to enter the plea, but when she learned that Johnson had previously been treated for a mental condition and was no longer under a doctor’s care or taking medication, she refused to accept a plea and instead ordered Johnson to undergo a mental evaluation at Plateau Mental Health Center in Cookeville to determine his competency to stand trial or enter a plea in the case.
Johnson underwent the evaluation later and was found to be competent.
Johnson and a co-defendant, 26 year old Tina Rose Bain, were each indicted by a DeKalb County Grand Jury in April on charges of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, felony murder, and theft over $1,000.
Under the agreement, the other three counts against Johnson were dismissed upon his plea to the first degree murder charge.
Johnson and Bain were charged in the shooting death of 21 year old David Anthony Welch of Sparta and the wounding of 23 year old Heather Trapp of Smithville. Both Welch and Trapp were shot at Trapp’s home during the pre-dawn hours of January 6th on Webb Lane.
The indictments allege that the defendants did unlawfully, intentionally and with premeditation kill Welch during the perpetration of or an attempt to perpetrate theft and that they unlawfully and knowingly obtained or exercised control over property including, but not limited to, a necklace and ring valued at over $1,000 belonging to Trapp.
After the shooting, Johnson and Bain left the scene in their car but were arrested later that day in White County. They were brought to the DeKalb County Jail and after several hours of questioning, were charged in the shooting. Their car was also impounded.
Bain’s case is still pending in court.
Johnson is represented by attorney J. Hilton Conger. John Pryor is Bain’s lawyer

It appears Criminal Court Judge Lillie Ann Sells, the apparent loser in her re-election bid last Thursday, is not going down without a fight…a court fight!
The Herald-Citizen of Cookeville is reporting that Judge Sells has confirmed that she is planning to file a lawsuit contesting the results of the election.
Final totals district-wide gave her opponent David A. Patterson, an Independent candidate, nine more votes than she received out of more than 40,000 votes cast.
After the votes were counted district wide on Thursday night, Patterson had a six vote lead over Sells, 20,102 to 20,096 but on Friday when the “provisional” ballots were examined in the counties that had them, Patterson had picked up four more votes to one additional vote for Sells increasing Patterson’s lead to nine votes.
The count, apparently as it stands now, is 20,106 for Patterson and 20,097 for Sells
Patterson currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney in the Office of Attorney General William A. ” Bill” Gibson of Cookeville.
According to the Herald Citizen report, Judge Sells said Monday that “she is working with a Nashville attorney in planning a suit seeking a review of the election results. Such a review could result in a recount of the votes.”
The report says “State law allows for a court filing to contest election results, and that would be filed in Chancery Court and reportedly would have to allege some specific reason for seeking a recount.”

The three speed humps on West Main Street between Juniper Lane and the four way stop at North Mountain Street will soon be gone.
The Smithville Board of Aldermen Monday night voted to remove them, apparently bowing to public pressure.
Aldermen Stephen White, W.J. “Dub” White, and Cecil Burger voted for the removal of the speed humps. Aldermen Paul Young and Aaron Meeks “passed” when their names were called to vote on the issue.
The city board, earlier this year at the request of several residents in the area, voted to install the speed humps as a pilot project, but since they were put down most of the aldermen say they have heard nothing but complaints from the public, who often travel the street going to and from the downtown business district.
Residents in the neighborhood, including Bert Driver, Ruth Johns, and others, told the Mayor and Aldermen Monday night that the speed humps have been very effective in slowing traffic on a street where speeding has been a problem and the posted speed limit is 15 miles per hour. They asked that the speed humps not be removed.
Two Smithville residents, who don’t live on West Main Street, but who own property in town, expressed opposing views on the issue during the meeting Monday night.
William McKinley Jones spoke out against the speed humps, but former Smithville Mayor Waniford Cantrell said he thought the speed humps should be kept there and asked that another one be installed on the east side of the West Main Street bridge.
Mary McCoy presented a petition to the Aldermen, signed by several residents in the Smith Road area, asking that speed humps be installed on their street because of the speeding problem on that narrow and winding road.
However rather than put down more speed humps, city officials are searching for alternative solutions and Monday night Smithville Police Chief Gus Clemente and the department’s new Public Information Officer Tom Stufano pledged a stepped up enforcement campaign on streets with the most problems with speeding.
Yet some question how effective the extra patrols can be with only two to three officers on duty per shift.

Uncertified election returns from all seven counties in the 13th Judicial District show that David Patterson has edged Incumbent Criminal Court Judge Lillie Ann Sells by six votes out of over 40,000 votes cast district wide.
Totals show Patterson with 20,102 votes and Sells has 20,096.
The following are the uncertified results from each county as provided to WJLE Friday morning by each county election commission
DeKalb: Sells- 1,822, Patterson- 1,234
Putnam: Patterson- 7,608, Sells- 4,152
Overton: Sells- 2,791, Patterson- 2,213
White: Sells- 3,465, Patterson- 2,436
Clay: Sells -1,216, Patterson- 749
Pickett: Sells- 1,346, Patterson 867
Cumberland: Sells- 5,304, Patterson- 4,995.

Democrat Ron Thurman carried five of the seven counties in the 13th Judicial District Thursday and defeated Republican Jerry Burgess in the race for Chancellor, succeeding the retiring Vernon Neal.
Thurman received a total of 20,922 votes to 13,373 votes for Burgess.
Thurman carried DeKalb County 1,388 to 976; White County 3,276 to 1,954; Putnam County 7,552 to 3,422; Clay County 439 to 290; and Overton County 3,024 to 1,109.
Burgess carried Cumberland County 4,693 to 4,370 and Pickett County 929 to 873.

The DeKalb County Commission will have seven new members September 1st.
The new members are Democrats Elmer Ellis, Jr., Jack Barton, Chris J. Smithson, Jeffery Barrett, and Willie Thomas, and Republicans Mason Carter and Randy Caplinger.
The returning members are Republican Bobby Joines and Democrats Jerry D. Scott, Wayne Cantrell, John D. Green, Jeff Barnes, Marshall Ferrell, and Larry Summers.
Democrat Elmer Ellis, Jr. and Republican Mason Carter were elected Thursday in the first district beating Democratic challenger Charles Griffith.
Carter received 251 votes (39%), Ellis had 240 votes (37%) and Griffith got 142 votes(22%).
Here’s how the vote breaks down by precinct: Alexandria- Ellis 144, Carter 133, Griffith 93. Temperance Hall- Carter 67, Ellis 42, Griffith 19. Edgar Evins State Park- Ellis 9, Carter 8, Griffith 4. Early Voting- Carter 41, Ellis 38, Griffith 22. Absentees- Ellis 7, Griffith 4, and Carter 2.
Carter and Ellis will succeed Democrats Kenneth Clayborn and Shelie “Pee Wee” Askew who did not seek re-election.
In the second district, Democrat Jack Barton and Republican incumbent Bobby Joines were elected Thursday, beating Democratic challenger Shane Cook.
Joines won with 341 votes (41%). Barton received 316 votes (38%) and Cook garnered 171 votes (20%).
Here’s how the vote breaks down by precinct: Liberty- Joines 82, Barton 64, Cook 42. Dowelltown- Joines 75, Barton 46, and Cook 33. Snow Hill- Barton 93, Joines 71, and Cook 38. Early Voting- Barton 112, Joines 109, and Cook 54. Absentees- Joines and Cook each with 4 and one for Barton.
Barton will succeed Democrat Frank Thomas who did not seek re-election.
Republican Randy Caplinger and Democratic Incumbent Jerry D. Scott were elected in the third district. Democratic Incumbent Roy D. Merriman lost his bid for re-election.
Caplinger received 415 votes (43%). Scott had 287 votes (30%), and Merriman picked up 252 votes (26%).
Here’s how the vote breaks down: Middle School- Caplinger 189, Scott 114, Merriman 108. Early Voting- Caplinger 211, Scott 167, and Merriman 138. Absentees- Caplinger 15, and Scott and Merriman each with 6.
The two nominees in the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Districts were unopposed.
Democratic Incumbent Wayne Cantrell received 418 votes and fellow Democrat Chris J. Smithson had 321 complimentary votes in the Fourth District.
Democratic Incumbent John D. Green garnered 313 votes and fellow Democrat Jeffery Barrett had 258 complimentary votes in the Fifth District.
Democratic Incumbents Jeff Barnes had 429 votes and Marshall Ferrell received 366 in the Sixth District.
And Democratic Incumbent Larry Summers had 321 votes and fellow Democrat Willie Thomas received 353 votes in the Seventh District.

Lillie Ann Sells, Democratic Criminal Court Judge Part II of the 13th Judicial District, defeated Independent challenger David A Patterson in DeKalb County Thursday, 1,822 (59%) to 1,234 (40%) while Democrat Ron Thurman beat Republican Jerry Burgess locally in the race to succeed retiring Chancellor Vernon Neal.
Thurman received a total of 1,388 votes in DeKalb County (58%) to Burgess’ 976 votes (41%)
Judge Sells carried the following DeKalb County precincts: Alexandria- 88 to 62, Temperance Hall- 39 to 24, Dowelltown- 53 to 31, Snow Hill- 55 to 52, Middle School- 116 to 98, Courthouse – 108 to 95, Johnson’s Chapel- 51 to 37, Elementary School- 121 to 59, Belk- 60 to 20, Keltonburg- 63 to 28, Blue Springs- 42 to 31, Church of Christ Annex- 118 to 56, and Early Voting 786 to 512. Sells had 45 absentees.
Patterson carried the following precincts: Edgar Evins State Park- 13 to 8, Liberty- 51 to 37, Cherry Hill- 20 to 17, and Rock Castle- 32 to 15. Patterson had 13 absentees.
In the Chancellor race, Thurman carried the following DeKalb County precincts: Temperance Hall 33 to 18, Dowelltown- 31 to 21, Snow Hill- 45 to 41, Middle School- 88 to 76, Cherry Hill- 18 to 15, Rock Castle- 31 to16, Courthouse- 104 to 53, Belk- 39 to 19, Keltonburg- 40 to 26, Blue Springs- 33 to 24, Church of Christ Annex 71 to 47, and Early Voting- 632 to 368. Thurman had 35 absentees.
Burgess carried the following DeKalb County precincts: Alexandria- 59 to 57, Edgar Evins State Park 13 to 8, Liberty- 41 to 27, Johnson’s Chapel 46 to 28, and Elementary School- 73 to 68. Burgess had 20 absentees.
In the only other contested race in the 13th Judicial District, Incumbent Democratic Public Defender David N. Brady defeated Republican challenger Samuel Harris in DeKalb County 1,368 to 777
In other unopposed races, Incumbent Democratic Circuit Court Judge Part I John A. Turnbull received 2,124 DeKalb County votes.
Incumbent Democratic Circuit Court Judge Part II John Maddux garnered 1,916 votes.
Incumbent Democratic Criminal Court Judge Part I Leon Burns, Jr. got 2,005 votes in DeKalb County.
Incumbent Democratic District Attorney General William E (Bill) Gibson received 1,955 votes here.
Unopposed county officials, and their vote totals, include:
Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack- 3,671
Register of Deeds Jeff McMillen- 3,597
County Mayor Mike Foster- 3,417
County Clerk Mike Clayborn- 3,375
Road Supervisor Kenny Edge- 3,234
General Sessions/Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Hale (Butch) Cook II- 3,019

Second District School Board Member Charles Robinson was re-elected Thursday beating back a challenge from John Allen.
Robinson won with 374 votes (62%) to Allen’s 222 votes (37%)
Here’s how the vote breaks down by precinct:
Liberty- Robinson 126, Allen 38
Dowelltown- Robinson 61, Allen 42
Snow Hill- Robinson 71, Allen 70
Early Voting- Robinson 111, Allen 70
Absentees- Robinson 5, Allen 2.
Others running for the board of education unopposed and their vote totals include:
First District Incumbent John David Foutch- 347
Third District Incumbent Kenny L. Rhody- 475
Fourth District- Joan Draper- 296.
Seventh District Incumbent- Johnny W. Lattimore- 360
Draper will succeed Keith Garrett who did not seek re-election.

Dowelltown voters elected three aldermen Thursday.
The winners are Brad Driver, Tom R. Duggin, Jr., and Keith Farler. Joe L. Bogle lost his bid for election to the board.
Driver received a total of 85 votes, Duggin had 70, Farler 58, and Bogle 33.