Update: Yes, there is more. See below.
I’m hitting repeated references to a story breaking in Greenwood. Here’s one bit, from WLBT in Jackson:
A 70-year-old oncologist is accused of hiring hit-men to kill the lawyer who represented his ex-wife when they divorced in the 1990s.
Greenwood police tell the Greenwood Commonwealth that Dr. Arnold Smith of Greenwood and 54-year-old William Paul Muller, a brickmason from Morgan City, are being held without bond on a charge of conspiracy to kill attorney Lee Abraham.
Authorities say 23-year-old Keaira Byrd and 25-year-old Derrick Lacy entered Abraham’s law office Saturday night, but agents from the Mississippi attorney general’s office were waiting for them. They say Byrd was killed and Lacy was wounded in the gunfight that followed, and an agent suffered a less serious wound.
Here’s a wire story on the Daily Journal site:
Agents from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office killed an alleged hit-man in a shootout that also wounded an alleged accomplice and an attorney general’s agent.
Police Chief Henry Purnell tells The Greenwood Commonwealth that attorney Lee Abraham was talking with the agents about an alleged murder-for-hire scheme against him when two men came into Abraham’s office Saturday night.
Leflore County Coroner Debra Sanders says 23-year-old Keaira Byrd was killed. She says he was shot several times, including a fatal head wound.
The Greenwood Commonwealth, which hides from the internet behind a pay wall, leaks a couple of additional details:
Smith, 70, 1304 Grand Blvd., and William Paul Muller, 54, 105 Northside Drive, Morgan City, are both being held without bond at the Leflore County Jail on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.
Mr. Abraham has previously been mentioned on this blog in connection with his donut stand on West Jackson in Oxford.
Update: From email and a comment, I learn that a week or two ago, the Greenwood paper reported this:
Dr. Arnold Smith drops his khaki trousers, revealing cuts and deep bruises on his leg. Pulling up his shirt, staples hold together a 3-centimeter-deep stab wound.
The Greenwood oncologist said he suffered the injuries during a robbery Thursday after being lured into a trap by an unknown assailant’s claim of possessing compromising photos of Lee Abraham.
I know I deserve a dope slap for asking this question, but … what “agents” of the attorney general’s office carry firearms?
Mike Gillich, Jr of Biloxi, MS, well known member of the Dixie Mafia is about to die from prostate cancer…Mike Gillich, Jr, was also involved with the Judge Vincent Sherry murders. All family members and “friends” have been called to his side…as they await his departure.
It gets stranger. Dr. Smith reported being stabbed not long ago. He claimed to have been lured by someone with information about Abraham. Google it and you can see a couple of paragraphs from the Commonwealth about it. Also, someone has been mailing out anonymous letters to people in Sunflower County. The letters contain alleged transcripts and contain libelous accusations against Abraham’s siblings.
Bizarre – even by Delta standards.
“Leflore County Coroner Debra Sanders says 23-year-old Keaira Byrd was killed. She says he was shot several times, including a fatal head wound.”
Good shooting.
The AG office has a good many investigators that are certified law enforcement officers. It pays a helluva lot better than police departments. Bravo to them for this heroic deed.
There certainly is moye here than is being reported but I’m not sure what all it is. But it sure seems strange that the “hit” occurred at the time AG folks were in Lee’s office “talking about the alleged scheme”.
it is well known that there is very little competent law enforcement in greenwood mississippi the chief of police in greenwood was hired because he is black no other reason he is an incompetant fool i am surprised the ricky banks knw nothing about this plot but obviously there is no law enforcement intelligence set up there in leflore county!!!
“There certainly is moye here than is being reported but I’m not sure what all it is. But it sure seems strange that the “hit” occurred at the time AG folks were in Lee’s office “talking about the alleged scheme”.”
James, that’s the first thing I thought. No coincidence there.
From Friday’s Greenwood Commonwealth:
“The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure is asking questions about a newspaper article and advertisement that appeared following an armed robbery of Dr. Arnold Smith.
Mickey Boyette, an investigator for the Board of Medical Licensure, visited the managers of The Commonwealth’s advertising and news departments Thursday.”
What could the ad have possibly said? Anybody have a subscription to get behind the pay wall?
John noted (and Floyd noted the oddness of it): ” it sure seems strange that the “hit” occurred at the time AG folks were in Lee’s office “talking about the alleged scheme”.””
Late on Saturday night, too.
Edward Kenneth: it is well known that there is very little competent law enforcement in greenwood mississippi.
You right … Emmett Till, Byron de la Beckwith, Fred Jermaine Carter … Greenwood’s law enforcement credentials are chiseled in stone.
There are many more crooked issues going on in Greenwood, Ms than a bad law enforcement track record. How about David Jordan, a single individual that holds both Local and State office as the vice president of city council and ward 6 alderman at the local level and a state senator at the state level. Talk about a conflict of interest.. The biggest issue is not even that though these incompetents and crooked officials are in office partly due to the One Man, One Vote Act that protects “minority” districts (which are not always held by the actual minority but instead black americans) by stating that these districts must always remain a minority district. These districts can never hold less than 65% of minority, or black, population. As time goes on the white and other populus representation of towns and counties will be eliminated through the use of this law and in some instances the best man or woman for the job will not be elected because they are in the true minority. This is reverse racism that is being protected by local, federal and state government via the U.S. Dept of Justice.
If the hit men were following Abraham, they might have seen it as an opportunity to take him out right then, late Saturday night in his office. Of course they missed the AG officers entering the building, if that’s what happened.
I bet there was an informant. Informant tells Abraham or maybe law enforcement. AG office notified because of distrust of local law enforcement. Information may have been as precise as Abraham will be whacked in his office after hours. AG office guys go to Greenwood and hang out with Abraham in his office for a night or two or more. Saturday night the shooters show up, encounter the AG guys with weapons drawn, and short gun battle ensues, Byrd ends up dead with a head shot and Lacy is wounded.
Meanwhile, people being treated for cancer by Dr. Smith are still fighting for their lives.
Luke, “one man one vote” (which originates in case law, not a statute) has nothing to do with the law prohibiting dilution of minority voting strength, which comes from the Voting Rights Act.
And, right now, your beef is as much with the Republicans redrawing the lines, who want to assure minimal Democratic representation in the legislature by putting as many minority voters in minority-majority districts as possible.
Are you sure this Abraham is the one affiliated with the “Honest Abe” tamale business in Oxford? There is an “Abe’s Barbecue” in Clarksdale, but I think his last name is Davis (still of Lebanese origin, though).
You can’t always trust the local media in these small towns to tell you what really goes on, since they don’t want to lose access to the city hall, law enforcement agencies, or local bigshots.
Many times the media is out-and-out sloppy. I remember a few years ago that WABG, the ABC/NBC/FOX affiliate based in Greenville, led a 10:00 p.m. news broadcast with a story about a black man in Sumner claiming he was chased down by a white mob, including someone in an armored vehicle, after being accused of robbery. The Justice Department was supposed to look into it. I think the man’s story was bunk, but WABG never followed up on it.
Yes; there was taxidermy and hunting photographs along with descriptions of hunting events stating it was him in the donut shop. There may still be; I’ve not been in it in a while. It’s not the Abe’s BBQ folks in Clarksdale.
You can do a 7 day free trial to the GC, no credit card required.
Luke,
While I agree with you in principle, as a Republican I can’t help but revel in the fact that federally mandated minority-packing has had the effect of creating more conservative majority districts. The switchover of Mississippi from Democrat to Republican has been greatly hastened by these requirements.
Think about how the Mississippi congressional delegation might look if every black voter hadn’t been sucked out of the First and Third Districts in order to keep Bozo the Clown in office in the Second. Both might well be Democrat. And multiply this by dozens of districts around the nation and you end up with a much more moderate Democrat party and likely a more liberal Republican party as well.
So the liberals got exactly what they asked for but not what they wanted, which is the way federal meddling usually turns out.
I’d love to see a federally mandated algorithm that wouldn’t include race that every state would be required to use for drawing districts. Create a set of rules and every 10 years press a button and you’ve got new districts, chips fall where they may. But that will never happen.
Back in the 80′s Dr. Arnold Smith use to own the Dance Clubs on Washington St in Greenville… & Jackson,Ms on Lakeland Dr….. The Clubs in Both Towns were call “ZOLIES”…. I was a DJ for both….
Just a few basic observations noted on the “Market Street Mayhem”, What is the definition of a shootout? I would think an exchange of gunfire? Apparently in this instance that was not the case. Byrd never fired the first shot! Nor did he ever pull out a gun. According to crime scene photos the only shell casings laying on the floor were .40 caliber brass. (Attorney General Issue). No shell casings were present from Byrds gun, which he carried tied to a strap made from a bed sheet around his neck. Byrd carried the gun next to the skin on his chest under 3 shirts. He never got a chance to get it out before he was shot a dozen times. However it was yanked off of him and placed on the floor at the scene. Since he had an invitation to come by the office, it is of my opinion that he was coming to collect money from Lee Abraham for the hit he had performed on Dr Smith, and apparently Mr Abraham did not intend to pay him! He was shot repeatedly by the attorney general agents till he was dead. Funny how when it gets investigated by an outside investigator how things come to light. Byrd also had a cell phone belonging to Lee Abraham containing a text from Lee’s main cell phone phone saying for him to kill arnold smith. Seems to me Lee ought to be behind bars as well.
Shawn Clements.. I could not agree with you more… one F-up cover up in my opinion.. having lived in Greenville for a few yrs… I know about the good ol boy Cover-Ups.. Mr Lee wanted him killed to cover his ass…. huh That’s Mississippi for ya… another reason why I don’t live there anymore…. I’m ashamed that I ever did….
WHY have anybody notified NAACP that may be still Old Mississippi but these are not old Times…